1. Jealousy:It’s a surefire way to disrupt the unity of any team. We must instill a belief with all our team members that everyone succeeds when one of us succeeds. There should be a sense of satisfaction from watching someone else excel, knowing that we all had a hand in it. It certainly helps when the stars are humble and remember to recognize their cohorts when receiving awards or honors—but even if they don’t, the mindset should be that what’s good for one is good for all.
•How to prevent jealousy: Work hard to disburse credit equally among your constituents. You should have a well-hones sense of fairness and be sharply attuned to who isn’t feeling the appropriate amount of love. Little ego strokes can make a big difference.
2.Cynicism:
•How to prevent jealousy: Work hard to disburse credit equally among your constituents. You should have a well-hones sense of fairness and be sharply attuned to who isn’t feeling the appropriate amount of love. Little ego strokes can make a big difference.
2.Cynicism:
It will infiltrate when the going gets tough. Cynical people believe they are not part of the problem. Cynical people question the plan and doubt the leader. That’s because cynical people don’t understand how to find the proper solutions to the problem. In their minds, the end result will not be positive, so they’re no going to fully commit to the group effort.
• How to prevent cynicism: A one-on-one meeting that confronts the cynical individual with his own behavior is a must. Most negative people don’t realize how they’re tearing apart the fiber of a team unless it’s pointed out to them. Leave no doubt that the cynical behavior must change. There will be consequences for anything that undermines team chemistry.
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• How to prevent cynicism: A one-on-one meeting that confronts the cynical individual with his own behavior is a must. Most negative people don’t realize how they’re tearing apart the fiber of a team unless it’s pointed out to them. Leave no doubt that the cynical behavior must change. There will be consequences for anything that undermines team chemistry.
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3. Inflated ego:
It occurs when team members believe the group cannot function or succeed without them, because they’re so far superior to their cohorts. Even the most talented individuals in any endeavor must realize that their value only matters within the framework of the group.
• How to prevent inflated ego: Make sure the egotistical team member is aware of the talents of those around him, and encourage him to recognize those while checking his own ego at the door. Point out to that person that there is room for improvement in his performance; believe it or not, they’re not perfect. Keeping them humble and working to improve every day is vital. In many recovery programs, ego is said to stand for “Edging God Out.” It might be worth reminding the egotistical that only the Almighty is immune to self-improvement.
• How to prevent inflated ego: Make sure the egotistical team member is aware of the talents of those around him, and encourage him to recognize those while checking his own ego at the door. Point out to that person that there is room for improvement in his performance; believe it or not, they’re not perfect. Keeping them humble and working to improve every day is vital. In many recovery programs, ego is said to stand for “Edging God Out.” It might be worth reminding the egotistical that only the Almighty is immune to self-improvement.
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4. Inflexible personality:
“I know I’m right. You just don’t understand. I can’t believe you don’t see it that way.” Sound familiar? You’ve probably heard some of that in your office. The inflexible personality does far more talking than listening, like one of those TV talk shows that put four pundits in boxes and have them try to outshout each other. The inflexible personality can find fault with others but rarely himself—embellishing points and stories to portray others as unreasonable. The inflexible personality will argue against every criticism of his performance, no matter how small. Unfortunately for that person, there are no guarantees that his way is the only way.
• How to prevent the inflexible personality: Use examples of how teams win with a variety of strategies; how they change and adapt to sustain success. The New England Patriots began their championship run with defense, but their undefeated regular season of 2007 was marked by record-breaking offense. The defensive leaders like Tedy Bruschi, Mike Vrabel, and Rodney Harrison were fine with that, as long as it was good for the group as a whole. Challenge people to create outside their box.
• How to prevent the inflexible personality: Use examples of how teams win with a variety of strategies; how they change and adapt to sustain success. The New England Patriots began their championship run with defense, but their undefeated regular season of 2007 was marked by record-breaking offense. The defensive leaders like Tedy Bruschi, Mike Vrabel, and Rodney Harrison were fine with that, as long as it was good for the group as a whole. Challenge people to create outside their box.
5. Discipline deficiency:
A lack of discipline leads to poor habits, and poor habits become destructive to the will of any business or team. People who are on time will notice those who are late and wonder why that behavior is tolerated. They’ll think you’re playing favorites. Or, the punctual people start running late as well, figuring there is no accountability for it. Suddenly, you’ve got a breakdown in discipline. Morale has eroded, cynicism has crept in, and everyone is looking for shortcuts when shortcuts won’t work.
• How to prevent discipline deficiency: Stay focused on what it takes to succeed, emphasizing daily habits. Only allow deviations from those habits when it cannot be helped.
6. Lack of passion:
If you cannot sense the energy and excitement from people you’re trying to recruit or hire, they might not have it. They should be passionate and driven enough to know what they want—to have goals and expectations and to articulate what they’ll do to meet them. One year I asked one of my players what he wanted to accomplish outside of basketball. This player, at the end of his junior year, responded, “I don’t know.” I dismissed him from my office and told him to come back the next day with something better. I told him I don’t deal with I-don’t-know people. At age 22, young people should have some plans and ideas, or at least be searching for help in creating them. I-don’t-know people wallow in mediocrity. People lacking passion don’t enthusiastically seize every opportunity to improve themselves. They love what success could bring them, but they don’t want to put in the hard work it takes to become successful.
• How to prevent a lack of passion: Make your own passion a beacon for others to follow and emulate. If you’re not boiling with observable enthusiasm, those around you might not, either. Try to surround yourself with high achievers. Celebrate the grind. When hard work yields results, point it out—loudly, if necessary. During the long hours, remind your people that it will pay off in the end—cheerfully, if possible.
• How to prevent a lack of passion: Make your own passion a beacon for others to follow and emulate. If you’re not boiling with observable enthusiasm, those around you might not, either. Try to surround yourself with high achievers. Celebrate the grind. When hard work yields results, point it out—loudly, if necessary. During the long hours, remind your people that it will pay off in the end—cheerfully, if possible.
7. Excuse making:
When someone goes wrong, it’s never their fault. They’ll point fingers in all directions except at the person in the mirror. College basketball players will blame teachers for shortcomings in the classroom, referees for bad calls, teammates for not getting them the ball. I always tell my guys that failure is OK if they own up to it and use it as fertilizer to make things better. I tell them excuses are a sign of weakness, and weakness won’t be tolerated.
• Channeling Bill Parcells once again: You are your record.
• Channeling Bill Parcells once again: You are your record.
8. Front-running: The front-runners are at their best when everything is going their way. It’s easy to be upbeat and positive when you’re playing well and your team is winning—but how do you respond when times aren’t so good? Sports and business are full of people who can ride a wave of positive momentum, but aren’t so good when they have to generate momentum in the face of opposition or adversity. They tire mentally and physically and are bypassed by their competition. They become self-satisfied too easily.
• How to prevent front-running: Keep the hammer down during good times. My halftime speeches are always more volatile and demanding when we’re ahead—players will take criticism more easily in that setting, and they’ll stay on task. When we’re behind, I try to be more analytical, calm, and upbeat. When we have a double-digit lead late in games, I’ll tell my team during timeouts that the scoreboard doesn’t matter; we’re tied, and I want to win the next four minutes by the next media timeout. I create a game within a game, trying to keep the pressure on them to rely on their fundamentals and do what we’ve coached them to do. Keep your own emotions on an even keel, and maintain your discipline. If you get overly comfortable when things are going well, it’s a signal to others to let their guard down and relax.
• How to prevent front-running: Keep the hammer down during good times. My halftime speeches are always more volatile and demanding when we’re ahead—players will take criticism more easily in that setting, and they’ll stay on task. When we’re behind, I try to be more analytical, calm, and upbeat. When we have a double-digit lead late in games, I’ll tell my team during timeouts that the scoreboard doesn’t matter; we’re tied, and I want to win the next four minutes by the next media timeout. I create a game within a game, trying to keep the pressure on them to rely on their fundamentals and do what we’ve coached them to do. Keep your own emotions on an even keel, and maintain your discipline. If you get overly comfortable when things are going well, it’s a signal to others to let their guard down and relax.
