Are You A Team Player?

By Jill Koenig
Author, Coach, Motivational Speaker

I am a big sports fan. I played sports virtually my whole life and I reference sports metaphors constantly in my writing and coaching. In grade school whenever I made the honor roll I was awarded free White Sox tickets. It was a big deal to go to a major league baseball game.

So I paid special attention in 2005 as the White Sox battled their way to the playoffs, against all odds, and won the world series. They accomplished this major feat without having any of the highest paid players in the game. At the beginning of the season that year, I didn't recognize most of the players, in fact I had never heard of them. The salaries paid to the Sox roster were a tiny fraction of the other top contending teams. During the playoffs, I saw an interview with Ozzie Guillen, the Coach that led them to their ultimate victory. Ozzie was asked what made the biggest difference for the team this year, why this amazing transformation?

Without hesitation Ozzie commented on the philosophy that was used by himself and the Sox General Manager, Kenny Williams, to reconstruct the Sox roster. Ozzie and Williams received a lot of criticizm for trading away their biggest home run hitters for players with other strengths such as speed. Ozzie credited their success with this, "We didn't pick the best individual players, we picked the best TEAM players."

This is crucial:



"We didn't pick the best individual players, we picked the best TEAM players."



That is a major key to any orgainization's success. It doesn't matter how great an individual performs if he cannot work with and contribute to the entire team.

A unified team with a shared focus can accomplish miracles.

In fact, Ozzie's coaching roster is comprised of HIS former teammates back when he was a player on the Chicago White Sox. No matter how great you are at what you do as an individual, the key to your success is likely built around who you surround yourself with and what your contributions are to your team. What is your shared focus? Who is on YOUR team and are YOU a team player?

Together
Everyone
Achieves
More

Lastly, even in the high stakes game of baseball with players who are the world's greatest, commanding multi-million dollar salaries, they still need a coach to tie it all together and create a game plan. A great coach helps you bring out the best in yourself. A great coach helps you develop and perform at your highest potential. A great coach helps you maximize your strengths, minimize and even breakthrough your weaknesses and achieve your ultimate success.

If you would like a coach to assist you with mastering your goals and developing the greatness inside you, please contact me at Jill@GoalGuru.com