We’ve been looking at how to get people and groups to change in a lasting and meaningful way. What about teams that don’t seem to make a transition to performing well, even though they seem to have all the ingredients. To illustrate, we’ll take a look at the US Women’s Soccer Team of the early 2000s and the US “Dream Team” Basketball team of 2000 and 2004.
The shared ideal or vision, a variation on the ICT step of identifying the ideal self, is the beginning of sustainable change at the team level. “The emergence and exploration of an “ideal self” is seen as the motivational force behind intentional change, composed mainly by three core features, namely hope, an image of a desired future, and core identity” (Akrivou, et al, 2006, p. 699). As we have learned in earlier posts, the need for a positive emotional attractor is vital to making change last. The good news is that, as Akrivou, et al, wrote, “The shared cognition around an ideal or purpose generates a source of positive emotion, guiding the group process, thereafter, as its positive emotional attractor” (2006, p. 699). The women’s soccer team certainly seemed to have found a uniting vision of what they hoped to be. They were playing for an ideal that was bigger than any individual on the team. They wanted to represent the USA and win on their country’s behalf. No individual attempted to grab attention away from the team. In comparison, the USA men’s basketball team was a collection of all-stars from the NBA. Each of the players had a personal brand and a belief that they should have a lion’s share of the camera time, microphone time, playing time, and time with the ball. The ingredients for each these two teams were as different in personality and vision as one could find anywhere.
The group then has to determine its current state and resolve the differences with its ideal state. In this part of ICT, much of the tension is discovered and released. The women’s soccer team worked through their gaps and decided to unite toward filling in the gaps between the current and the ideal states. The men’s basketball team appeared to decide that they were already at their ideal state. They were all superstars, weren’t they? Many of them had won NBA championships and all of them had been elected to the NBA all-star game multiple times. Why change? They would just blow the other teams out of the water on talent alone.
Developing the learning plan to be implemented for the team to reach their goal is the next step. The women’s soccer team trusted their coaching staff to develop a plan to get them playing at a championship level. The players committed to following the plan. The results became evident over time. The men’s basketball team didn’t commit to a plan. They felt they had the innate skills and talent to get the wins. The fallacy of that path became evident over time.
“During initial iterations of ICT, people in the group focus on establishing and subsequently maintaining of trusting, supportive relationships. These can be best described as “resonant relationships” within the group members” (Akrivou, et al, 2006, p.701). The team members have to learn to trust each other. Once that occurs, the team can begin to build relationships outside their group, further spreading their path to success. Again, the women’s team came together as a unified group all marching toward a common goal. Those who excelled worked with those who might have been struggling so they all grew stronger in their belief in one another. The men’s team demonstrated a knack for playing as five individuals, no matter who was on the floor. Every individual thought it was up to them to win the game, no one wanted to “do the grunt work” and possibly move out of the limelight. With every loss, the tensions and divisions grew.” The NEA creates the tensions and reflection, through experiences of still existing in-group vs out-group boundaries and challenges to further developing these critical relationships” (Akrivou, et al, 2006, p. 701). The negative emotional attractors far outweighed the amount of positive emotions and the team became dysfunctional and never reached the potential they and the entire country hoped they would.
All the best ingredients in the world do not make a great meal until they are put together in a way their positive aspects can overcome their negative. Remember though, a little bit of bitter makes the sweet taste better. Uniting and motivating a group is a constant process that takes leadership skill, desire, and practice. The work can be difficult, but when a team comes together it is a thing of beauty.
Until next week, take care!
Akrivou, K., Boyatzis, R. E., & McLeod, P. L. (2006). The Evolving Group: Towards a prescriptive theory of intentional group development. The Journal of Managment Development, 25(7), 689-706. doi:http://dx.doi.org.ezproxy.libproxy.db.erau.edu/10.1108/02621710610678490
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