May the Most Vulnerable Team Win

Teams and organizations often underperform because of a lack of cohesion. This we know. Whether you call it commitment to purpose or buy-in, it’s rare and it pays dividends. While the performance of having this quality in a group speaks for itself, it is understandable why it doesn’t show up.

You can’t save face and be fully committed simultaneously.

To commit, then, is a vulnerable act. The perceived risk of being vulnerable will always be a path of resistance and, therefore, unpopular.

Oddly, the problem is as obvious as the solution. The problem with this is that teams that lack buy-in lose to teams that have it. If there was a more clear way to communicate this, I haven’t yet found it after exhaustive search. Teams must recognize the following truth and act accordingly:

If you want to be a great organization, realize that you will compete against organizations that are willing to fully commit to their mission.

Any justification, then, to continue avoiding the vulnerability required to compete at the highest level can also be understood as reasons for your failure. Is it any coincidence that the highest performing organizations in the world are ruthless? Members of these teams are in, or they are removed.

 

Logan Gelbrich

@functionalcoach