By Mark Swets, CAE, Executive Director
ACTHA
Chicago

The Chicago Cubs are World Series Champions!  (That still sounds great!)

As a lifelong baseball fan, this dramatic postseason provided numerous storylines of curses, long-term futility, perseverance, performing under pressure and the magic of an impassioned rain delay speech. From a business perspective, the 2016 Chicago Cubs are a classic case study in the value of teamwork.  Much of my joy this season has been watching the Cubs successfully perform as a true “team”.  They seemed to contain all of the elements of a winning team: hard work, focus, resiliency and enjoyment.  And they won!    

As quoted by Wikipedia:

  “A team is a group of people or other animals linked in a common purpose. Human teams are especially appropriate for conducting tasks that are high in complexity and have many interdependent subtasks.”

“A team becomes more than just a collection of people when a strong sense of mutual commitment creates synergy, thus generating performance greater than the sum of the performance of its individual members.”

Our focus on successful teams tends to resonate most in the field of sports, but easily could be transferred to the role of an association team.  A successful community association “team” starts with a committed board of directors who establishes the culture, vision and goals for the association.  In the case of the Cubs, the goal was clear:  win the World Series.  It seems everything they did during the season was in support of achieving their goal.  What goals does your association have?  Are they clearly identified (preferably written down) and shared with the community?

Another vital component is the actual assembling of the team.  Certainly the 2016 Chicago Cubs “team” was assembled over several years and included a combination of new ownership, general management, player development, homegrown talent and free agent signings.  Who comprises your association “team”?  The board of directors, committees, staff and the property manager are obvious choices, but what about your banker, accountant, attorney and insurance broker?  Whomever you choose, make sure they are qualified and committed to achieving the association’s goals.

Once the team is assembled, it’s important to clearly define roles between team members.  This was a key cog in the Cubs’ success throughout the year, and especially during the World Series.  From the starting pitched to the pinch runner to the flame-throwing closer, each team member understood their role and was able to execute it effectively.  Establishing roles allows each member to perform to the best of their ability and develops a pattern for success.  Take a moment to document your association team and the role each team member plays, and share this amongst everyone on the team.

Lastly, take time to validate and support team members.  The Cubs encountered multiple setbacks during the season, including injuries and slumps in individual player performance.  But the team continued on, keeping faith in their abilities and “picking each other up”.  Throughout the season, team members publicly supported each other in interviews and community events.   In community associations, a little encouragement goes a long way!  Recognize the skill set of your association “team” and support them as you work together to achieve common goals.

 Watching a successful team perform never gets old!  It starts with assembling committed members with clearly-defined roles, working towards a common goal.  It continues with validation and support between team members while overcoming setbacks.  And it culminates with the satisfaction and celebration of a mission accomplished!  May your association establish and embrace its team and achieve the success of the 2016 Chicago Cubs!