Does being a team-player matter any more?

Being a team-player used to mean you put the team first--ahead of personal needs or goals. If a teammate needed extra time in the gym, you went with him. If he needed to kick 50 extra field goals after practice, you shagged balls. If she needed to work on serves, you shagged volleyballs for her. It didn't matter if you had already worked out, were the highly touted quarterback, or already had your scholarship in hand and didn't need to work on serving. Teammates put the team first.

When today's NFL players score touchdowns, they flip, pump their chests, and point at themselves. Twenty years ago, players "acted like they'd been in the end zone before," to quote Lou Holtz. Players did not need the individual recognition because they played for the team.

What mattered was the final score of the game, not one play. What mattered was being there when a teammate needed you. What mattered was the team.

Sports teams and corporate project teams have much in common. Do today's teams share diminished appreciation of the team-player?

Do today's teammates put themselves ahead of the team?

There is a lot of finger-pointing going on among teams today. The pointers don't realize when one finger is pointed out, three more are pointing back. People are eager to hold others accountable--what a buzzword that is! The subconscious mindset seems to be, "Everyone else should just do their jobs! Do them really well so I can turn in a mediocre performance after watching Jersey Shore."

Mediocre team performance is accepted today because people know someone else will compensate for weak performers. Today, when a group hears the phrase, "There's no 'I' in 'team," nearly everyone in the room responds with, "But there is a ME!" The prevailing attitude is "me first."

Perhaps if more teammates were team-players instead of me-players, the teams would experience more success. Being a team-player matters to winning teams. It's the losers who don't get it.


[What do you think? Do today's teams prefer team-players or me-players? Share your thoughts.]

Who would you rather be: Charlie Brown or Lucy?

The Peanuts comic strip was in the news for turning sixty years old recently, which prompts the question: who would you rather be: Charlie Brown or Lucy?

For sixty years, Lucy has been pulling the football out from Charlie Brown as he runs to kick it. She gets him to fall for the trick every time. Once he falls for the trick and winds up on his backside, Lucy mocks him for doing so. She mocks him for trusting her, for thinking they are friends, for believing in her one more time.

We are supposed to feel sorry for Charlie Brown, but isn't Lucy the more pitiful character?

Sure, Charlie Brown ends up on his backside, embarrassed.

But, Charlie Brown believes in people. He sees value and goodness in people, even when they don't deserve it.  He gives second chances. He roots for the underdog (or, under-tree--see the Christmas episode!). In the back of his mind, Charlie Brown must suspect that Lucy will disappoint him, but he continues to give her chances.

It is natural to feel sorry for Charlie Brown, but perhaps it is Lucy we should pity instead.

Is it better to be someone who roots for the underdog and gives people chances or someone who takes advantage of others and mocks them?

Would you rather be the one taking advantage of others or the one who believes in others? Who do you think would make the better leader in the long-term? Who do you think would make the better coworker? Who do you think will have the better impact on others?

Lucy might be the one pulling the football out from under Charlie Brown, but is Charlie Brown pulling off the bigger trick? Would you rather be like Lucy or Charlie Brown?

Are you on the band wagon?

 The Kansas City Chiefs are 3 and 0! Three weeks in to the new season, and the Chiefs have won as many games as they won the entire 2009 season. Every Friday is Red Friday, and this year, red is everywhere.

By the end of last year, there was very little red wore to celebrate the team each week.

As a casual observer but not rabid fan of the Chiefs, I've noticed the Chiefs' band wagon is pretty well occupied during the down times. There are thousands of loyal Chiefs fans, as evidenced by the vitriolic sentiments expressed after last year's horrible season. I've also noticed the band wagon is over-flowing since the 2010 season is off to a great start.

I'm an avid Notre Dame football fan. We are having the opposite problem this year: people jumping off the band wagon. People are jumping off ND's band wagon so fast, there's a national shortage of crutches from all the ankle injuries resulting from their leaps.

The Chiefs are having a great season, they don't need more fans this year. If you weren't a fan last year, don't come along now for the glory. If you weren't buying game tickets when they were as cheap as a date with Paris Hilton, don't bemoan their high cost this year.

You have to be there for the heartbreak to celebrate.

If you're jumping off the ND band wagon this year, or you jumped off during the three previous coaches, stay off. If you're not there to shed tears of anguish over losing, don't come back with eyes welled up in tears of joy when the team is winning. Be there now, or stay away.

You have to earn your spot on the band wagon, whether we're talking about the Chiefs or Fighting Irish.

The same is true in life.

What band wagons are you on? Who are you loyal to? Who is on your band wagon? Who is loyal to you?
Are you more loyal than some people deserve or reciprocate? Is it time to get off some band wagons?

You earn spots on band wagons by being there for others when times are tough. It's easy to support someone when they are successful and life is going smoothly, but true loyalty is shown during the tough times.

It is not fun and glamorous to be there for someone whose business is struggling, or someone with cancer, or someone who was laid off. But, that's when you are needed most.

Jump on the band wagon during the losing seasons so you can enjoy the sweetness of winning seasons.

Go Chiefs!
Go Irish!

5 Things Kayne West Can Teach Us About Apologies

Have you ever embarrassed a coworker in front of others? Have you stolen someone's thunder? Have you stormed a stage during an awards ceremony because you thought someone else should have won?

Unless you're Kayne West, it's likely you answered "yes" to just two of those questions.

Mr. West stormed the stage during the VMAs last year when Taylor Swift was giving her acceptance speech for winning Best Female Video. He took the microphone from the stunned singer and proclaimed another artist should have won. The audience clapped in support of Ms. Swift once Mr. West exited the stage.

Mr. West was under a great deal of professional and personal pressure at the time of the awards ceremony.

Is being under pressure an excuse for stealing someone's moment?

Is being stressed an acceptable excuse for being rude?

No, it is not.

Although Mr. West spent the rest of the awards ceremony sulking, it did not take long for him to apologize. So far, he seems sincere in his apology and in his desire to make amends. He has taken positive steps that are worth learning from, including the following:

1. Apologize quickly. As soon as you realize you made a mistake, own it and apologize. Mr. West apologized within days of the incident, and he's repeated his apology throughout the year. Sometimes it takes more than one attempt to appear sincere.
2. Apologize to all affected by your error. Mr. West apologized to Ms. Swift, her family, friends, and fans. He also apologized to the awards show and to the other singer who was stunned to be mentioned in his rant.
3. Retreat. Mr. West admitted to being under pressure at the time, so he canceled a tour, stayed out of the public eye, and took care of his personal business. 
4. Be true to yourself. Mr. West points out that he was an impressive dresser with an unimpressive attitude. Being true to yourself, or genuine, contributes to the sincerity of an apology.
5. Make amends. Mr. West revealed yesterday that he had written a song for Ms. Swift. "I wrote a song for Taylor Swift that's so beautiful and I want her to have it. If she won't take it then I'll perform it for her," West wrote. "She had nothing to do with my issues with award shows. She had no idea what hit her. She's just a lil girl with dreams like the rest of us." (SOURCE: www.RollingStone.com)

Mr. West's apologies have been straight-forward and specific. He has reached out to make amends and he seems sincere.

His actions are worth noting in a time when other celebrities, public figures, and corporations feign apologies.

The truth will be evident going forward. The 2010 VMAs are Sunday, so we'll all see what he does next.