The Seventeen Laws of Teamwork- John Maxwell

The Seventeen Laws of Teamwork ~John Maxwell

To achieve great things, you need a team. Building a winning team requires understanding of these principles. Whatever your goal or project, you need to add value and invest in your team so the end product benefits from more ideas, energy, resources, and perspectives.

1.  The Law of Significance

People try to achieve great things by themselves mainly because of the size of their ego, their level of insecurity, or simple naiveté and temperament. One is too small a number to achieve greatness.

2.  The Law of the Big Picture

The goal is more important than the role. Members must be willing to subordinate their roles and personal agendas to support the team vision; seeing the big picture, effectively communicating the vision to the team, providing the needed resources, and hiring the right players, can allow leaders to create a more unified team.

3.  The Law of the Niche

All players have a place where they add the most value. Essentially, when the right team member is in the right place, everyone benefits. To be able to put people in their proper places and fully utilize their talents and maximize potential, you need to know your players and the team situation. Evaluate each person’s skills, discipline, strengths, emotions, and potential.

4.  The Law of Mount Everest

As the challenge escalates, the need for teamwork elevates. Focus on the team and the dream should take care of itself.

5.  The Law of the Chain

The strength of the team is impacted by its weakest link. When a weak link remains on the team the stronger members identify the weak one, end up having to help him, come to resent him, become less effective, and ultimately question their leader’s ability.

6.  The Law of the Catalyst

Winning teams have players who make things happen. These are the catalysts, or the get-it-done-and-then-some people who are naturally intuitive, communicative, passionate, talented, creative people who take the initiative, are responsible, generous, and influential.

7.  The Law of the Compass

A team that embraces a vision becomes focused, energized, and confident. It knows where it’s headed and why it’s going there. A team should examine its Moral, Intuitive, Historical, Directional, Strategic, and Visionary Compasses. Does the business practice with integrity?

8.  The Law of the Bad Apple

Rotten attitudes ruin a team. The first place to start is with your self. Do you think the team wouldn’t be able to get along without you? Do you secretly believe that recent team successes are attributable to your personal efforts, not the work of the whole team? Do you keep score when it comes to the praise and perks handed out to other team members? Do you have a hard time admitting you made a mistake? If you answered yes to any of these questions, you need to keep your attitude in check.

9.  The Law of Accountability

Teammates must be able to count on each other when it counts. Is your integrity unquestionable? Do you perform your work with excellence? Are you dedicated to the team’s success? Can people depend on you? Do your actions bring the team together or rip it apart?

10.                 The Law of the Price Tag

The team fails to reach its potential when it fails to pay the price. Sacrifice, time commitment, personal development, and unselfishness are part of the price we pay for team success.

11.                 The Law of the Scoreboard

The team can make adjustments when it knows where it stands. The scoreboard is essential to evaluating performance at any given time, and is vital to decision-making.

12.                 The Law of the Bench

Great teams have great depth. Any team that wants to excel must have good substitutes as well as starters. The key to making the most of the law of the bench is to continually improve the team.

13.                 The Law of Identity

Shared values define the team. The type of values you choose for the team will attract the type of members you need. Values give the team a unique identity to its members, potential recruits, clients, and the public. Values must be constantly stated and restated, practiced, and institutionalized.

14.                 The Law of Communication

Interaction fuels action. Effective teams have teammates who are constantly talking, and listening to each other. From leader to teammates, teammates to leader, and among teammates, there should be consistency, clarity and courtesy. People should be able to disagree openly but with respect. Between the team and the public, responsiveness and openness is key.

15.                 The Law of the Edge

The difference between two equally talented teams is leadership. A good leader can bring a team to success, provided values, work ethic and vision are in place. The Myth of the Head Table is the belief that on a team, one person is always in charge in every situation. Understand that in particular situations, maybe another person would be best suited for leading the team. The Myth of the Round Table is the belief that everyone is equal, which is not true. The person with greater skill, experience, and productivity in a given area is more important to the team in that area. Compensate where it is due.

16.                 The Law of High Morale

When you’re winning, nothing hurts. When a team has high morale, it can deal with whatever circumstances are thrown at it.

17.                 The Law of Dividends

Investing in a team compounds over time, making that team exponentially better.  Make the decision to build a team, and decide who among the team are worth developing. Gather the best team possible, pay the price to develop the team, do things together, delegate responsibility and authority, and give credit for success.

"Good Living"

One of my assistant coaches constantly uses a term that I am finding describes what I think life is all about.  The term is "good living" and what he means by this is that if you live life the right way and are a good person, good things will happen to you.  Call it karma, call it the golden rule, call it whatever you want but when you live smart good things happen to you.

If you live with a service mentality then you will ultimately see the appreciation of your peers that understand the concept.  It is the reason that my families non-negotiables are UPAID.  The ability to pay the price of living with cooperation (unity), living with passion, living with appreciation (service driven, purpose driven, without out worrying about getting yours all the time), integrity (do the right things no matter what), and diligence (grinding it out and persevering) will ultimately pay you back and then some.

Serving others is inately part of paying the price and its returns are incalcuable.  No judgements, if I can help you without compromising my faith or family I'm yours.  That is "good living"!  Thank you dad for modeling that for me every day of my life, thank you Coach Diebel for your thoughts on "good living".

If you make a mistake...

1. Own it!
2. Fix it!
3. Learn from it!

It is inevitable for people that are pursuing excellence to not make mistakes, but when you do you have to own it, fix it, and learn from it!  If your non-negotiables are solid, people will respect you more, rather than trying to place blame!

Other random thoughts...

1) It is better to ask for forgiveness then seek permission.  If you are well intentioned and honest things will work out.

2) Don't ask questions that you know the answer to and you don't like the response to.  Find a solution.

What is your "Construction" Model?

As a teenager I had the opportunity to work in the construction business for my uncle.  A great experience where I learned certain skills that I now use as a homeowner.  If nothing else, I learned to respect the hard work that people in that job are about and maybe more important for me, it showed me that it was not the way I wanted to spend the rest of my life.  I wanted to work in education and sport and construct in a different way.  The ideas that made my uncle and his business highly respected and successful were not lost on me as I moved into a differenct career and as a coach.  Here are some things that I have pulled from my experiences... if you are reading this please feel free to comment and expand this analogy.

1. Each game, each day, each class you have as a student is a new masterpiece/building project.

Each time you wake up, enter a class, play a game it is a chance to start fresh and prove yourself.  Some times we have bad days and that is ok, but do you respond in the next game and overcome.  Do you do the little things to improve the mistakes and correct the damage.  If it were a house, do you make the repairs, or do it better the next time.  This is how consistency and respect is built.  Each game is a new masterpiece... it is something that has to be repeated to build a legacy.  Your reputation will not be great if you build a great house and then build three poor ones.  As in basketball, each game will not be handed to you, you can not just show up.  You have to go out and proved yourself over and over.  It is when this happens that a reputation is born and consistency is reached.  You can't compare one game to the next, but rather you have to stive to play the best game you can every time you take the floor.  As if you were a builder, build the best house that you can every time you start a project. 

The legacy that you build for yourself in any walk of life will not be realized until the end of your journey or possibly after.  Live the moment, every moment, the best that you can and the end result will be outstanding.  Play present on the floor and make the right play as consistently as possible and the results will take care of themselves.

2. Bad technique leads to bad construction.

In basketball as in construction or any part of life, if your technique is bad your final product will have limits on how much success it will see.  Those that recognize that they are never as good as they think or are willing to commit to continual improvement will be the most successful.  It always amazes me, the attitude that some people come with, where they believe that they are beyond or better than the work and the technique that has driven so many to greatness.  As Bill Parcels put it "The only players that are hurt by criticism are the ones that have an overinflated opinion of their game."  If you feel that you are better than the technique that is required you are setting yourself up for disappointment.  In construction, if you don't follow the techniques that are proven winners, the outcome of your projects will be revealed.  If you want to be successful, recognize the time tested methods and pursue them... don't be above them.  Your actions will speak louder than your words and those that really know success will know you have followed them.

3. Upgrade your equipment.  In life, in construction, in basketball an upgrade in equipment/talent will lead to success.  As a player, you getting in the gym and perfecting your craft is upgrading your equipment.  If you find something that works (a quality tool) use it, take care of it, maintain it.

At the end of the day the question will be does your construction hold up to the adverse weather conditions that surround it?  If you have done your best everyday, used proper technique, and improved your craft then you will have success in every aspect of life.  It is always a choice and it is no one's fault but yourself.  You are accountable for you. 

Follow on twitter @jgerstung... if everyone was accountable for their own actions we could get rid of petty arguing and move toward positive success.

2.

Emma Liz's Graduation

I am a father of four wonderful children and today I had the pleasure of attending my first child, Emma Liz's, graduation.  It is true that as adults we can learn a lot from children.  It is intense as you sit there and realize that your children are innately born with passion, curiosity, and unconditional love and that is is our job to continue to foster that development and push them to increase their tool kit of success.

At the graduation they had a performer that juggled and did tricks but also had the the ABC's of success that he wanted to share with the students and their families.  A = attitude, you need to have a positive attitude and despite failures, picking yourself up and pushing on.  B = best, you need to try your best and put forth a great effort.  C = courage, you need to have the courage to make positive choices and do what is right, not simply what is easy.

Awesome that at such a young age our youth are being shown how to be successful in life... that if you (his words) practice the 3 p's you will succeed.  Plan, Pursue, and Persevere.  It gives me hope.

Happy Fathers Day!

It is a day that is truly special to me. I have four great kids and take being a role model for them very seriously. It was asked what does being a father mean to you? It means living the example that you want your son to be and the example that you want your daughter to marry. Life is a series of choices, choose wisely dads. Have a great day!

5 Pillars of Success for our Nation, Business, or Team

1. Educate People- Teach players how to play.
2. Immigration (Best and Brightest)- Recruit quality kids with passion and intelligence.
3. Improve Infrastructure- Build a feeder program, summer league, etc.
4. Reasonable Spending/Logical Spending- Identify key needs/supplies and improve them.
5. Government Research- Evaluate and improve as a staff… never stop learning.

It pays to put your time in and educate yourself.

Success Blockers

Success Blockers

In life the desire to be successful can sometimes be so overwhelming that we are unaware of where to start.  Remember that success is a choice that is made every day.  You will determine how successful your life is based on your actions.  Below is a list of seven common things that people get trapped by that prevents them from achieving monumental success.  I encourage you to choose today... choose to be the success that you desire to be.

1) Fear

            - No Fear!  There is a plan in place... have FAITH!

            - "Who you think you are is who you will become," set the plan then live the plan with your         actions.

2) Doubt

            - Do the work so there is no doubt that you were prepared.

3) Excuse-making

            - stop wasting time thinking of an a excuse to give people and instead use that time to get better

            - "Own It!" and move on.

            - It is about personal accountability to yourself and to your team.

4) Procrastination

            - people who procrastinate are "comfort dodging"

            - enjoy being uncomfortable... take a step... it is not if you fail, but when you fail, and how you                respond

            - procrastination = inaction = zero decision making = lost opportunities

5) Greed

            - taking more than you are ready for or need creates waste (failure)

            - be a giver

6) Violation of Conscience

            - Conscience warns us against danger (morally).

            - How can you ask for help and then violate your principles?

            - If programmed correctly you should feel bad when you violate.

7) Slothfulness

            - Lazy

            - "One who is slack in his work is brother to one who destroys."- Proverbs 18:9

(Adapted from Charles Stanley, Jeff Meyer, and John Maxwell)

The Simple C's of Winning Basketball Games...

Here is the next installment of stuff from STUFF, the simple C's.

Clock- Coach's reference here is to when the clock is stopped.  It is an absolutely perfect time to be communicating with your team or coaches.  Basketball is such a fast paced game that good players use that time when the clock is stopped to relay positive communication and reminders to fellow players.  Direct players what we are doing next, where they supposed to be, or even given them encouragment to try a little harder.  Encourage meant is comprised of the word "courage" which is generally needed to complete a task that you are afraid to fail at.  When you encourage you give your teammate the courage to compete, the courage to try, and the courage to embrace winning.  Instead of using that time to pout, complain, excuse-make, or feet-stomp use that time to focus forward and build a teammate up.  If you can't think of anything to say that means you are a) a selfish player or b) a person that doesn't know how to play.  In either instance that person that exhibits success blockers are likely not winners. 

Complete Passes- It is simple, basketball is a game of limiting your mistakes and forcing the offense into them.  The simplest thing that you can do is complete passes.  If you are completing passes you are giving your team more opportunity to score while keeping opportunities away from the opponent.  All teammates must be working together to accomplish this goal, but if you can complete those passes you make the defense have to work harder, shift position, and ultimately break down.  This equals a scoring opportunity.  Complete your passes!

Consistency- This was probably my favorite C.  Consistency is what separates average players from good players.  Average players point to things they do, good players keep playing because they expect those things to happen all the time.  "Act like you've been there before!"  Things that are do-able you should not expect praise for otherwise the praise loses its value.  Praise is for the extraordinary.  Good players have "an every-time kind of pride."  They know that inorder to be great they must do it all, all the time, and they take pride in that.  This is a winning mentality in life, family, and basketball.  The difference between the haves and have nots, the winners and the losers, is such a fine line.  In basketball it might a possession or two, one missed shot combined with one made shot.  Most teams play 3/4's of their schedule winning or losing by 6 points or less.  These scores are too close not to recognize that more consistency and a little bit closer attention to details means a win instead of a loss.  A fellow coach of mine, Eric Klumpp uses a quote that I love, "When you consistently do the small things well, big things happen."  This is so true in basketball and in life.  Big moments rarely spring up out of nowhere, usually they are the culmination of several small acts put back to back.  Pay attention to the details of your game, family, or life and big things will happen!

Criticism- Coaches would not have you be in the gym if they did not want you in the gym.  Their job is to make you the best player/person you can be.  It is impossible to grow and be the best you can be without the recognition of your flaws.  Don't take it so personal... even if it is the flaw of someone else or he thought it was you but it wasn't... focus on the bigger picture, he is pointing out something that needs to be improved.  Most coaches I know hold great affection for their players and want them to succeed... as the book says, "Suck It Up!" as we say "Man Up!" and just make yourself better.  We should not care so much about our image, but rather the lasting impression of how we interact and play the game.  No one is going to care how you looked, they are going to care about the effort and accountablity that you played with.

The Best of the B's

In Stuff Good Players Should Know we have now moved into what I like to call the Killer B's.  They are the killer b's because if these subtle things are ignored they can abosotely kill any kind of flow you are trying to create on offense and defense. 

Ball Defense- While all coaches have there phrases and sayings about how to defend, especially on the ball, some simple truths for any type of defense remain constant.  The book outlines these areas:

- your body position and weight
- position of your hands
- "get in the bubble"
- dictating the action of the ball
- your commitment to yourself

Getting into these areas properly has to be done efficiently.  In our program we refer to "air time" as the time when your on the ball defense begins.  You should anticipating the pass and moving to the proper body position.  Where do you close out to?  If you have a plan, then the rest of your team will have a plan.  You have to jump into that person's bubble.  I credit Lavall Jordan of the Michigan staff with the phrases, "Don't be tricked, don't be ignored."  When the ball is live you have to be in a stance ready to defend.  Keep your weight down and have active hands.  "Guard your yard" and make it personal, I am going to stop my man this time!

Blocking Shots- This is in direct relationship to killer B number two.  Blocking shots is the most overrated stat that we can measure.  Stat from the book- 99% of basketball players block one shot or less per game.  If that is accurate what are we doing out of our stance attempting to block shots.  The average shooter is likely to hit around 40% of their shots.  Why would we risk not blocking out and losing the six possessions for the hope of blocking one shot.  In the long run that is not winning basketball... If you allow yourself to get tricked the rest of your team will pay the price, they score, you foul, a teammate fouls, they shoot bonus, or an and 1 occurs.  There are way too many negatives that outway the one positive of blocking a shot.  EXCEPTION: At some point you may find yourself helping off the ball and rotating over or in the paint battling.  Challenging a shot here might work, but most likely you are doing this because you have not "done your work early" and are now trying to recover.

B-U-B- Ball-U-Man is a pretty simple concept yet one that some players don't get.  We are trying to play five on five.  It is of utmost importance that you are at the level of the ball or ahead.  There is no need to guard someone behind the ball (unless you are in full denial on that player) as they can not hurt you and you can always closeout to them.  General rule I love: you should be as close to the basket as the ball in a ball-u-man position.  If you do this you will constantly be around the ball and in a position to play great team defense.

Bent Elbow Pass- I first saw this pass stressed by Coach Beilein at a Michigan clinic.  It is the simplest pass in basketball to make and should be part of every players skill set.  In our program we have borrowed the phrase, "Fake a pass, to make a pass," and while I still love this phrase we need to be clear that these fakes are short bursts of movement with a bent elbow (bent elbow is the key) so that we can get the ball around the defender without having to recoil our arm.  See the book for more detail, but it is so simple a cave man could do it.  I think is part of the problem because sometimes coaches see these things and don't stress them because we assume they can do them already.

My dad taught me at an early age not to assume because when you do... well we can save the rest of that line for another time.  If you want to be invaluable to you team share the ball with a service mentality.  One of our core beliefs... make a teammate better!

Upcoming the C's.

Stuff Good Players Should Know

I have been a coach at the JV/Varsity level now for eleven years and while I feel like I have been through a lot, I am finding that my knowledge of the game and how I teach it, is still growing and improving everyday.  I have since been turned onto a new read that isn't that new at all.  The book, STUFF Good Players Should Know by Dick Devenzio.  A current player has turned me onto this A-Z book of knowledge that every "player" should know.  What I am finding out is that this book has been around since my days as a high school/aspiring college player.  Needless to say, this book would have been helpful then and is extremely helpful today as a coach.  I am proud that one of my players is improving his game on a mental level and seeking an advantage.  It is my hope to share with you some of those ideas that I find fascinating, obvious, and critical to being a good player.  I will do my best to do it justice, but will certainly not be able to cover all the great aspects of this wonderful book.

My top 5 of The A's...

Ahead at the end of the game on defense- the main goal here is to play without fouling.  In our program we do our best to be a strong positional team that has the ability to play great on ball defense, with great support from our teammates, and doing it without fouling.  We try to do this every game, throughout the entire game, but late in the game it is very important to "play clean" and "play with your feet" to put the maximum pressure on the defense.

Ahead at the end of the game on offense- the main goal here is to have a plan for what shots you feel are good shots.  In our program we say, "Right shots, right spots, right times, by right guys."  So for us what a good shot might be in the first quarter is not necessarily the right shot in the fourth quarter.  I recently heard Coach Bob Knight talk about his philosophy that included the mindset of being up a certain amount with a certain amount of time left and the ball needs to be driven to the basket or a clean jumpshot late in the clock.  I completely agree, and actually need to emphasize this more in future years.  When you have a game in control you must stay aggressive, but that doesn't mean make it easy on the defense.  Make them play defense and look for a great shot within the offense.

Alibis- Good players are leaders that accept blame for team failures.  They expect obstacles and look to solve them rather than complain and excuse them away.  It is about being accountable for your actions and those things that you feel strongly about.  I truly believe that if every person in the world held themselves accountable for their actions many of the problems of this world would take care of themselves.  If you make a mistake, own it, correct it, and move on.

Attitude- Do you come with a positive, persistent, passionate attitude everyday?  Can you handle criticism and defeat in a positive way... as fuel for your next set of work?  The great ones do and I don't just mean athletes!

Availability- In our program we say "Don't run away from the ball!"  If you are being pressed or if your man leaves to go trap, you have to constantly make yourself available for the ball.  Good players are always ready to step into the action and help a teammate under pressure.  Good players want the ball and are naturally seeing ways to get themselves to the ball in appropriate spots.

These are some of the best tips that this book has to offer.  I can not wait to get into the B's and find out how I can make my athletes become players.

What are your non-negotiables?

I have been to several coaching clinics in my twelve years as a coach and a term that I have heard time and time again is "non-negotiables".  This term as defined by those using it simply means, what are the things that you will not compromise on, the things that must be done inorder to be successful.

On the basketball floor, we are starting to solidfy those non-negotiables and what I have found is that the earlier you have them, if they are appropriate, the earlier success will come to you.  You have to coach who you are while ever trying to improve.  I think you are supposed to live life that way as well.  You are supposed to live who you are to the best of your ability, while constantly seeking to improve. 

So what are your basketball/life non-negotiables?  I have always had an appreciation for Coach John Beilein and the way he coaches and runs his basketball programs.  They are a joy to watch.  It is from him and his staff that I find some of the same non-negotiables that work for success on the court, also work for success in life and isn't that the ultimate goal.  Coach Beilein's assistant, Bacari Alexander, put their non-neogtiables out in a tweet and I have simply adapted them and modified them.

The key to the whole thing is have you paid the price to be great?  It doesn't just happen by itself... you have to be intentional. So, have UPAID the price?

U- Unity.  Make those around you better, lead by example, be the change you want to see.
P- Passion- Be persistent and relentless towards achieving your success with a positive attitude.
A- Appreciation- Show gratitude, learn in victory and failure.
I- Integrity- Do what is right because it is the right thing to do... whether or not it is right for you.
D- Diligence- Get after it with 100% effort, everyday.

If you do these things you are holding yourself accountable for your own success.  It will not be anyone else's fault whether you succeeded or failed.  Excuses will be eliminated.  Success will be defined by you... not by others.

Six Human Needs

I believe that in any part of your walk in life, contact with others is one of the most important areas that a person can focus.  I am in no way perfect in these areas of communication and contact but I find myself constantly striving to be better.  This next selection is something that I have found from Tony Robbins and is something that I use to try and evaluate why people act the way they do and to helf facilitate what they need.  I am finding that when you learn what motivates others you can learn how to help them and in doing so you just might help yourself.  As an aging husband, father, coach, and teacher these things are becoming more and more valuable in my everyday reflections.

Tony Robbins Six Human Needs

Tony Robbins in Unleash The Power Within

1. Certainty/Comfort. We all want comfort. And much of this comfort comes from certainty. Of course there is no ABSOLUTE certainty, but we want certainty the car will start, the water will flow from the tap when we turn it on and the currency we use will hold its value.
2. Variety. At the same time we want certainty, we also crave variety. Paradoxically, there needs to be enough UNcertainty to provide spice and adventure in our lives.
3. Significance. Deep down, we all want to be important. We want our life to have meaning and significance. I can imagine no worse a death than to think my life didn't matter.
4. Connection/Love. It would be hard to argue against the need for love. We want to feel part of a community. We want to be cared for and cared about.
5. Growth. There could be some people who say they don't want to grow, but I think they're simply fearful of doing so—or perhaps NOT doing so. To become better, to improve our skills, to stretch and excel may be more evident in some than others, but it's there.
6. Contribution. The desire to contribute something of value—to help others, to make the world a better place than we found it is in all of us.