Business Tip from Ted: Winning Teams Are Developed

Rose Report: Issue 36

As the baseball season kicks off, I’ve been reflecting on the 12 years I coached my two sons’ sports teams. During that time, I witnessed some exciting moments and along the way, learned a lot about building a team in the business world.

Some of life’s great lessons are learned on a baseball field. As a coach, I learned that in order to win the game you need to unite a group of people and establish a common purpose, play to the group’s strengths and help bring out the best in everyone.

Whether coaching a sports team or managing a business, building a winning team can be difficult. From placing people in the right positions, to providing opportunities to learn and develop skills, you need a well thought out strategy.

The first step in creating a winning team is developing an environment where individuals are committed to a common goal and success is celebrated. Like a sports team, business teams need to work in tandem. When people share a common goal and work well together, not only are they more productive, they realize they play a role in the overall success of the company. At Rose Financial Services, we built our company on the vision of success for all—not just for our firm but primarily for our clients and for our employees. We make sure to celebrate our employees’ success through our annual employee appreciation week, team breakfasts, holiday parties, community events and more.

In order to be an effective manager, you need to play to your team members’ strengths and provide the opportunity for them to consistently develop their skills. At the beginning of a baseball season, a coach is given a team of individuals with a variety of skill levels. A successful coach then develops a program that allows players to get to the next level. The same is true in the business world. You need to hone into your employees’ strengths and then find ways that allow them to grow, develop and advance.

The greatest lesson I learned from coaching on the baseball field is that the building block of success isn’t about giving people what they want—it’s giving people what they really need. Ultimately, what each team member really needs, first and foremost, is self-confidence and knowing that their destiny is in their own hands. Once they understand that, they control where they go in life. And if they have the will and drive, they can and will be successful.