Franz Beckenbauer was right!
In an interview a long time ago, German soccer legend Franz Beckenbauer replied to a reporter's question "What do you most wish for in your team?
"I'd be happy if every player could at least correctly control the ball after receiving a pass."
For all non-soccer friends: Controlling the ball after a colleague's pass is a basic requirement for a good game. Nevertheless, any amateur player can tell you that this is not so easy.
The same applies to business - if you want to get your team to perform better and into the metaphorical Champions League, make sure that everyone can "control the ball" first.
What does this mean for your team? Here are three ideas:
- Reliability. Unreliability is like a disease I've observed spreading more and more: Requests are ignored, deadlines are exceeded without warning, clear promises are not kept for flimsy reasons, etc. Reliability is not only a virtue but a necessity for high-performing teams!
- Responsibility. Accepting the ball means taking full responsibility for it. Once I get my foot on the ball, I can't blame anyone else for my successes and failures. However, this is what is often lacking in business: many complain about their environment as though they cannot produce any results themselves.
- Action. Once you have accepted the ball, you can't just stop moving; you have to do something with it. However, many team members in the business seem to believe that they can “wait and see” after taking on a task, then wondering why the ball goes to the opposing team (i.e. competition).