Teams : Complement or Compensate

This past weekend was the 2010 Ryder Cup. A unique golf event. Golf is a sport for individuals. The Ryder Cup takes this sport for individuals and creates a team-based event. The USA vs. Europe. There are three types of matches to the competition. One is called Fourballs, two players from each team play their own ball, but only the lowest score from each team is counted on each hole. A second is called Foursomes, two players from each team play one ball and take alternate shots until the hole is finished. And the third is singles, where one player from each team are placed in head-to-head competition.

One of the major challenges that the team captains face is “pairing” the right players together in the Fourballs and Foursomes matches. Style, chemistry and competence are all factors in how the captains put together the pairings. In the Fourballs, a captain may choose to put an aggressive player and a conservative player in the same pairing. In the Foursomes, a captain may pair a great iron player and a great putter. In all pairings, the player’s chemistry is usually taken into consideration… I say usually because a there was the time that Tiger Woods and Phil Mickelson were paired together – their professional competition hasn’t fostered much goodwill toward each other.

Here are some thoughts regarding teams and how they can work best.

Teammates need to complement each other. This is undeniable. Scores of books have been written in the last few years about playing to our strengths and letting others play to their strengths. When a team is assembled that has complimentary strengths there is incredible potential.

Complementary strengths are not enough, competence must also exist. When someone is in a role that requires certain strengths but lacks the competence for the role, it really doesn’t matter how the other team member’s strengths complement that individual, the team will be in for a tough road.

There are some core competences that are needed in all leaders. Teammates can complement each others strengths but they cannot compensate for weakness. When staffing with paid or volunteer staff, it is important not to neglect the aspect of competence. These seems like a statement from the ‘are you really wasting my time pointing out the obvious?’ file. However, far too often, a person’s “likability” or charisma gets them into a position instead of their competence.

One of the marks of a great teammate is that they is not just aware of their strengths, they are aware of their individual weaknesses.