Winning Formula

March Madness is one of my favorite times of year. I am a big fan of college basketball and enjoy watching this tournament take place with all of its drama and unexpected results. The upsets are part of the beauty of the tournament. They aren't always predictable and it leads to teams taking on the mantle of "Cinderella" as they make surprising runs deep into the tournament. This unstable environment is part of what makes filling out a bracket such a fun challenge. No matter what I read to prepare or how I trust my instincts I still won't be 100% correct. Regardless of what popular opinion reveals, the game must still be played out for a win to take place. A team won't move on just because they should progress.

The same is true for us. There are many things we should be capable of conquering and working our way through, but it won't happen just because it seems like it should. We've got to have a plan to put into action and then execute that plan to get the results we desire. While this won't bring a 100% certainty of success, it does set us up for the best potential outcome.

Deflated Character

The current sports headline dominating the news is over the allegedly deflated footballs used by the New England Patriots in last weekend's AFC championship game. It seems to be all that the sports world is talking about as they try to determine who is at fault and whether or not the Patriots bent the rules for their own gain. Blame is flying around and journalism experts are picking apart the evidence to figure out what is going to happen next.

I understand something like this is going to make some noise, but the final score in the game was 45-7. I seriously doubt the amount of air in the footballs made a significant difference. It's fairly obvious the Patriots were the best team on the field regardless of any supposed attempts to create a competitive advantage.

This really isn't about the footballs though, but about the character of those involved. It speaks more to the integrity of a group of people and their willingness to abandon principle for the sake of success. Choosing to cheat in a small way isn't different from cheating on a larger scale. They both reveal flaws of character and a desire to cast aside integrity for personal benefit.

Boring Works

I was listening to ESPN radio last week and Colin Cowherd was talking about the teams that were still competing in the NFL playoffs. His big statement that morning was the remaining teams were boring. He wasn't denigrating their style or wishing for something more flashy, but was simply remarking on the consistency of their teams. Colin was actually giving credit to their leaders for their consistency in winning and the way they used their system to achieve that success. They weren't out to make ridiculous personnel moves, but were willing to stick to their solid structure producing proven results.

It's possible to find success through bold, broad strokes of creativity and not have it be part of your systemic structure. This is not how top organizations choose to operate however. Instead it's essential to develop the proper framework that allows for that creativity to take place. Random acts of out-of-bounds activity won't produce a steady stream of prosperity. Instead this describes teams that are desperate for a taste of the victory the "boring" winners are steadily feasting on.

Worst to First

It's sometime amazing how quickly things change. Last year the Boston Red Sox finished with one of the worst records in the American League while this year they had the best record and just wrapped up a World Series title. It may seem hard to believe that this can happen in just a year, but obviously the turnaround was fueled by practical & philosophical adjustments:

• A new manager was hired: when your team underperforms and morale is poor a new voice in charge may be what is needed to motivate.
• Team chemistry became an important value: careful attention was given to the blending of the team with input from key leaders in developing a positive team culture.
• Difficult team members were replaced: character became a more important value than capability when overall talent became a secondary measurement to a humble, team-oriented approach.
• A fresh, winning attitude was implemented: when you are dissatisfied with your results you have to decide that losing isn't an option and choose to adopt a winner's demeanor even before you start winning.
• Unity breeds continued success: instead of assigning blame & creating cliques in the team you find ways to build camaraderie even if they seem simple (like growing manly beards.)

These are good, solid principles that helped change the fortunes of a team in one calendar year, but the biggest motivator is a hardened desire for things to change. Experiencing an IHHE (I Have Had Enough) moment  is the first step to our situations changing for the better.