Pulse

“Gettin' good players is easy. Gettin' 'em to play together is the hard part.”

- Casey Stengel, American Major League Baseball right fielder and manager

You probably won’t find that quote on an inspirational poster – but it’s still a good one if you ask me. We’ve all heard (and maybe even used) the age-old expression “teamwork makes the dream work” – but it’s not always a walk in the park.

When you have a great team in place, there’s an opportunity to create magic and build something extraordinary together. But this magic doesn’t necessarily come easily – or happen overnight. Teamwork is hard work. Especially in a setting like ours at Loureiro, where we are constantly working together across businesses and functions – and on projects that are just as diverse as we are. And especially when you add in that we have success measures that include revenue growth and profitability and that these measures are internally reported to a company level and sometimes to a divisional level.  There is an inherent sense of competition among our divisions and business units to deliver on big growth goals.These measures and our dynamic setting can be breeding grounds for competition.

But here’s the interesting thing… Teamwork and competition aren’t conflicting ideals in a workplace – or anywhere else for that matter. (Even though it may seem that way at first glance!)

Healthy competition is what we strive for as it is a powerful motivator, encouraging all of us to grow and push past our individual limits. As a quick example… How many of you have ever worked out with a gym “buddy?” or had someone in your life that you could always count on to tell you what you needed to hear, not what you wanted to hear?  At the gym, chances are you pushed yourself a bit harder in the sessions with your buddy.  And that person in your life probably subconsciously affected your behaviors to get something done that you did not want to do because you did not want to let them down – you did not want to have to say to them, “I know, I am just making an excuse”.  Competition also inspires innovation and new ideas – which allows us to achieve more – not only for Loureiro, but also for the clients and industries we serve.  Healthy competition is good!

However, when competition becomes unhealthy and becomes a me/you, a win/lose and it is internal to Loureiro, it makes collaboration very difficult and undermines success.  It becomes a breeding ground for distrust, the killer of many companies!  And similarly, when teamwork is the only focus, you sacrifice individual initiative, creativity, and all the good things that come from healthy competition.

So, it all comes down to balance – and paying attention to that balance. Because a competitive team who knows how to work collaboratively will achieve the most together. 

I don’t have a list of specific asks to strike this “balance” – because that balance will look different based on the team and the project. But here are a few general suggestions that I think are a point in the right direction:

• Lean into healthy competition. ALL of our businesses and divisions want to grow. This may promote a desire to outperform the other “teams” – but rather than that, focus on working together to achieve the growth of Loureiro as a whole. And when we do that, we’re learning new skills and developing our team relationships.
• Support individual skills, initiative, ideas, and accomplishment. Going back to Casey Stengel – we are all good players!  Every person at Loureiro has a unique set of skills and expertise that enhances our discussion, approach, and results.  For us to be successful we must each bring those to bear and support our team members in doing the same.  Nurture our diverse talent by sharing (and being open to) new ideas; setting stretch goals for team members; and providing candid feedback (including praise!) to each other.
• Encourage innovation. Both teams and employees should feel safe pursuing new ideas – which can lead to better-than-expected results. Practice and encourage innovative thinking and creativity while prioritizing the security and stability of our organization.  We will thrive when all of our team members feel free to share thoughts they believe can lead to greater success for a project or the company as a whole.  We all play a part in setting the stage for this to happen.

The best teams are comprised of people who compete well, but still very much respect each other’s views – and they all contribute to shared goals. They know that for that right “balance” to happen, they have to work at it. Every project, every day.

And we are a great team at Loureiro. Let’s continue pushing and inspiring one another to give our best – and also seeking collaborative opportunities to put everyone’s skills and expertise to the best use.

Let's unleash our collective potential and make the impossible possible.  When teamwork and healthy competition find harmony, we achieve greatness!