PUT ME IN COACH

I hope everyone is enjoying the summer with hot dogs, baseball, apple pie and sports of all kinds. Yes, horseshoes is a sport and pitching washers is right behind it as a cool pastime with an element of competition.  You know it’s great to be part of a team and we all long to belong to a group and do our part to make that group successful.  The stories about come-from-behind sports teams are on every corner and many of them are just amazing. Allow me to recant a tale of my youngest son and his adventure being part of an at work team. Perhaps you will find some similarities in your situation.  A few years ago, when my son was still in high school at Waterford Kettering, he hired in at one of the local food establishments to begin his life lessons of the workplace and to make some money to purchase that much-needed automobile. I think the establishment was Quizno’s Subs, but I could be wrong. The young manager gave Anton his entrance interview and was heavy on the team work aspect of employment at Quizno’s. The manager lectured on how all employees were expected to rally to the assistance of their co-workers and how many hands make the task light, etc. Now I need to tell you, Anton knows teamwork; he was part of a travel soccer team for many years and the team was big on teamwork. All soccer teams must have a high level of team activity. With eleven players on the field, no one or two players, even very talented players, can swing the outcome. Much like our workplace, one or two people working on their

own can’t control the quality of our cars or the attitude in the shop. Many weeks passed at Quizno’s, Anton made some money, learned some life lessons and received some training in customer service. His biggest life lesson was yet to come and, of course, it had to do with team work.  One night after the Quizno’s had closed for the evening and all the customers were long gone, it was time to clean up. If memory serves me right, this was a Friday or Saturday night. All the workers at this store were young guys and gals, so this meant that everyone had one thing on their minds. Get the store cleaned up A.S.A.P. and get the heck out of there so they could get on with their real job... experiencing life.  As Anton swept, scrubbed and put away the sandwich fixings from the day’s busy schedule, the manager (the same one who had bestowed the virtues of team work on him) sat watching, waiting for the task to be done. Anton saw his opportunity to be inspirational and seized it. “The team needs you,” he prodded. “We can all get out faster if you help.” His co-workers all kept working, heads down, eyes forward...waiting; the only sound was that of their brooms scratching the floor. They waited and swept, making busy and expecting the worst. Without a word, the manager got up and headed for the office in the back...the team would play one down. Of course, it wasn’t long before Anton’s hours at the Quizno’s had dwindled to just a few, not nearly enough to justify his efforts for the job. He realized his error. He called out the coach in front of the rest of the team for not being a team player and the coach responded by making the pain go away.  The real issue was Anton had no back up. The rest of the team agreed, but were too afraid to speak up. They all received the same speech upon hiring in. This was not a union workplace. There was no one to turn to. The young manager could say what he wanted in the interview and then do just the opposite later. I believe in team work. It is the only way two plus two will ever equal five.  Teamwork means people working together for a common cause; going above and beyond for each other, with each other and bringing all team members along to make the entire team stronger. Leaving egos and titles in a box and using all of their abilities to advance the cause, whatever it is.  Being flexible but expecting flexibility from everyone, including leadership. This is the path to success; everyone all-in.  In retrospect, my son learned a great life lesson at Quizno’s. It’s easy to say you are all in, but your actions will soon give you away, if you are only playing. Speaking truth to power feels great, but comes with consequences.  One absolute will never change.  A “real” team can accomplish things that are impossible for individuals  or pseudo teams. If you are ever fortunate enough to be part of a “real” high-performance team, perform and enjoy.  Thanks for listening.