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Cultivating Winning Chemistry
Here’s the post-game speech you NEVER hear after the final game of the World Series, the NBA playoffs, the Stanley Cup playoffs, or the Super Bowl (ok, you get the picture).
You’ll NEVER hear “I hate my teammates. We were successful despite our lousy relationships. Our success had nothing to do with our ability to get along. These guys are nothing like brothers to me. This season has not been special because I had to spend it with them.”
Instead, when asked to explain their success, teammates typically acknowledge how well they got along…often using the word chemistry. They say their chemistry allowed them to get through the tough schedule, to persevere through injuries, and to endure the long season. Their chemistry made it a memorable experience. Chemistry, chemistry, chemistry.
So what’s that all about? Can you plan for chemistry or does it just happen? Is it something that can be measured? Do teams that lose also have chemistry?
It all makes me wonder… Does chemistry cause winning? Or does winning cause chemistry? I imagine the debate would go something like this…
Chemistry Causes Winning
A team with chemistry creates resilience. People who show behaviors that contribute to the creation of chemistry will get along, they will treat each other with respect, they will trust more, they will support each other more, and they are more likely to buy into the team’s mission. All of these contribute to a winning formula.
Winning Causes Chemistry
How could it not? If you assemble the right collection of talent and the stars align in your favor, the result is often success. Have you ever been part of a team that was the best? It’s fun! And it’s a lot easier to get along with others. Winning is a great cover-up for dysfunction. Of course winning causes chemistry. Winning just feels soooooo good. How could you not get along with folks when life is that good?
I’m not sure we’ll ever conclude the debate. Maybe both are true. Regardless, there is a learning that carries over into our work environments. Whether or not causation exists, correlation certainly does.
I’m going to bet on the fact that if my team wants to achieve the highest levels of success, chemistry must be present. And if that’s my position, then I need to figure out how to foster its presence – how to give it a fighting chance to develop.
3 Ways To Cultivate Chemistry:
- Focus on hiring for fit. Technical skills and knowledge matter, but so does the alignment of values between the organization and the candidates. Make sure you know your organization’s values, include a broad group of interviewers who ask related questions, and talk about the interviewers’ impressions of the candidates.
- Care about employee engagement. This is a bad place for a hope-based strategy. Focus on results. Take actions that enable engagement and help create the team. Why? When employees are actively engaged, they’re more likely to be productive – centered on teamwork and achieving goals.
- Celebrate success. Celebrating accomplishments is a great way to keep your team motivated. Whether it’s winning the wildcard, the division title, or the World Series, break out the proverbial champagne!
Admittedly, chemistry is a little nebulous… it’s tough to get a handle on but easy to see when it is present. The good news for leaders is that creating an environment conducive to chemistry happens when you exhibit strong leadership behaviors. So, keep up the good work, prepare your post-game speech, and get ready to win your world championship. Go team!