Teamwork Pays Off Quotes

Keeping the locus of responsibility in the one who owns the problem is important because: First, leaders who get team members to solve their own problems are making a sound investment that will pay off with many benefits: their team members will become less dependent on them, more self-directing, more self-sufficient, and more capable of solving problems on their own.

He was sitting at his desk. He had to get some relief from seeing what he did not want to see. The factory was empty. There was only the night watchman who’d come on duty with his dogs. He was down in the parking lot, patrolling the perimeter of the double-thick chain-link fence, a fence topped off, after the riots, with supplemental scrolls of razor ribbon that were to admonish the boss each and every morning he pulled in and parked his car, “Leave! Leave! Leave!” He was sitting alone in the last factory left in the worst city in the world. And it was worse even than sitting there during the riots, Springfield Avenue in flames, South Orange Avenue in flames, Bergen Street under attack, sirens going off, weapons firing, snipers from rooftops blasting the street lights, looting crowds crazed in the street, kids carrying off radios and lamps and television sets, men toting armfuls of clothing, women pushing baby carriages heavily loaded with cartons of liquor and cases of beer, people pushing pieces of new furniture right down the center of the street, stealing sofas, cribs, kitchen tables, stealing washers and dryers and ovens—stealing not in the shadows but out in the open. Their strength is tremendous, their teamwork is flawless. The shattering of glass windows is thrilling. The not paying for things is intoxicating. The American appetite for ownership is dazzling to behold. This is shoplifting. Everything free that everyone craves, a wonton free-for-all free of charge, everyone uncontrollable with thinking, Here it is! Let it come! In Newark’s burning Mardi Gras streets, a force is released that feels redemptive, something purifying is happening, something spiritual and revolutionary perceptible to all. The surreal vision of household appliances out under the stars and agleam in the glow of the flames incinerating the Central Ward promises the liberation of all mankind. Yes, here it is, let it come, yes, the magnificent opportunity, one of human history’s rare transmogrifying moments: the old ways of suffering are burning blessedly away in the flames, never again to be resurrected, instead to be superseded, within only hours, by suffering that will be so gruesome, so monstrous, so unrelenting and abundant, that its abatement will take the next five hundred years. The fire this time—and next? After the fire? Nothing. Nothing in Newark ever again.

Evaluation must be done in hindsight, after the work has been done, not for proposals for work to be done. That said, secondary factors must carry some weigh, because research results depend too much on historical contingency and luck. As articulated by Ralph Bown, vice president of research at Bell Labs from 1951 to 1955: 'A conviction on the part of employees that meritorious performance will be honestly appraised and adequately rewarded is a necessary ingredient of their loyalty. This appraisal, to be fair and convincing, must be based on the individual's performance and capabilities rather than wholly on the direct value of his results. A system which rewards only those lucky enough to strike an idea which pays off handsomely will not have the cooperative teamwork needed for vitality of the enterprise as a whole.

Famed basketball coach Phil Jackson, a meditator himself, arranged to have his players—first the Chicago Bulls, and then the L.A. Lakers—learn meditation as a way to improve their focus and teamwork. Jackson finds that mindfulness assists players in paying attention to what’s happening on the court moment by moment. Such precise training in attention has paid off during tense playoffs; Jackson has led more teams to championships than any coach in NBA history. Meditation

Ben loved basketball growing up, but he was always a bit too short and a bit too slow to compete with the best players,” Marco said. “So he didn’t get a ton of playing time. This burned him to the core—but he loved the game too much to quit. He was the last man off the bench, but Ben worked like he was a starting point guard.” The waitress brought their pizza. “Go ahead, eat,” Marco told Niko. “You’re a better listener when you’re eating.” Niko chuckled as he dove in, famished from his tough training session that morning. “Ben once shared with me the most challenging thought he had to deal with during those times. Even though he loved the game, he wondered, Will this ever pay off? Though his future playing time didn’t look promising, he continued playing through his junior and senior seasons. And you know what happened?” “He got better and became the star of the team?” Niko said through a mouthful of pineapple pizza. Marco laughed. “Nope. This isn’t one of those stories. He still spent almost all his time on the bench, but he was determined to still make the team better. See, Ben found a way to lead with enthusiasm, connecting with his teammates and building an unparalleled level of grit. His teammates called him the ‘glue guy,’ the one who kept them all on the same page, working together. So, would you say it paid off for Ben?” He didn’t wait for Niko to answer. “If your criteria for payoff is the ‘short game’—increased playing time, becoming a starter—then no, it didn’t. But I’d argue that it did pay off in an even bigger way. Ben developed skills through playing on that team that many adults still struggle with today. He learned to sit with his Little Man lies. He learned to live with the self-doubt, the constant reminders of his inadequacies. He learned how to find joy in the process and in the success of others. He learned how to keep pushing himself, even when he wasn’t getting the results he was hoping for. Embracing these challenges shaped his character in ways short-game success would never be able to. He unlocked new levels of grit, teamwork, and execution that propelled him ahead in the long game.