Dealing Blackjack... an analogy for developing teams.

At one time I was a director on the board of a fledgling charity for the disabled* and like most small organizations, operating funds are always in short supply; with that said, one night I found myself dealing Blackjack at a games night fundraiser. By the end of the night we had raised some money, had some fun with friends and neighbours, and I saw a wonderful analogy for developing teams.

This night still resonates with me so I wanted to share.

As you can appreciate most people came to have fun and support the charity, so many of the people who were playing at my blackjack table had not played cards before, or if they were familiar with Blackjack, they really didn't understand the strategies needed to win. At the best of times the odds are stacked in the house's favor, so they were losing but having fun. 

And then Mike sat down.

Mike knew all about the game of Blackjack, its strategies, how to play the odds, and when to draw a card and when to hold. He was just there to have fun, but as he began to play he would openly say what he was doing, why he was doing it, and suggested to others how they may want to play.

He knew it was the dealer against "them". 

As the night progressed we continued to have great fun and I could see the other players using the techniques Mike was suggesting, saw an increase in their confidence as they drew their cards, and noticed that the number of times they were winning increase.

The energy of the table attracted others to play and although Mike won it all in the end, everyone was better for it. 

It may be considered a stretch to call the people at the Blackjack table a team, I think with a little artistic license it can be said that they all had a common goal to beat the dealer, there was a sharing of information, a transfer of knowledge, and internal influence to meet the common goal.

My time dealing Blackjack reminded me of this:

• All teams need common goals and clearly articulated expectations which includes how success is defined.

• Build your team with individuals who are "superstars"** and "potential superstars" (as they are the future).

• Look to your "superstars" (like Mike) to set an example for the skills needed, the attitude required, and how success is defined. This will help develop your "potential superstars". 

• Expect those up and coming superstars to learn, develop, emulate, and exercise their abilities. 

• At any given time some will win more than others, but their success should not be built on the backs of those on the team. Appropriate recognition of success is key.

• Celebrate your successes against your common goals.

• Team membership is forever changing (and should be in my opinion). Ensure you have a solid pipeline of potential new members because this will perpetuate long term success.

If truth be told I also started dealing a little bit better when Mike showed up  — A Superstar raises everyone's game.

iamgpe

* Connect4Life.  www.connect4life.ca 

** Superstar (or Rockstar) is a term often used in a business setting to describe a person who is considered very successful at what they do. They possess qualities people want and should be emulated. Commonly used among a sales team to describe over plan achievers.