Pats offer lesson in team-building

About the Author

Rick Dacri is an organizational development consultant, executive coach and expert in employee relations. He can be reached at 985-8401, rick@dacri.com or www.dacri.com.

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Football season is just about upon us, and many of us are thinking about another Super Bowl championship. One doesn't have to be very old to remember when the Super Bowl and the New England Patriots were names that were not said in the same sentence. The Packers, Cowboys, Steelers and 49ers were champions, but New England'' Yet after three titles, we have come to expect a championship every year.

How did we get this way'' Scott Pioli, who is the Patriots' vice president of player personnel, shared the team's secret in a recent interview. He and coach Bill Belichick have a philosophy that they will always build a team that competes for a championship. This is not a short-term philosophy of win this year and worry about next year later, but a philosophy of winning now while always keeping an eye on the future. A big part of this philosophy is talent acquisition. Pioli's job is to get the talent for the coach.

The talent they go after is special. It is talent that fits with the Patriots' belief system. Once assembled, the coach must then build a culture in the locker room that is in line with the philosophy of the organization. The culture of the locker room is key, and everyone must buy into their overriding philosophy.

Belichick believes the best players are going to play now, but the team is always developing players to be ready whenever they are needed. In a highly physical sport like football, players must always be ready to play.

Each player understands his job and his role. The team looks for competitive players who are mentally tough and who embrace the team's philosophy. The Patriots' goal is simple: build a cohesive team because teams win championships.

n Organizations must have an overriding philosophy to guide them in how they operate their business.

n All employees need to buy into this philosophy, and hiring decisions must be based in part on whether the candidate can adhere to this philosophy. Any employee, new or old, who does not embrace the philosophy must go.

n All employees must know their jobs and the roles they play in the organization.

n The manager's job is to put together the best available team for today while simultaneously preparing for the future.

While the Patriots may seem to have an endless supply of talent, most employers do not. All of us are faced with a labor shortage, and the problem will only get worse. Baby boomers, who make up a significant percentage of our work force, are beginning to prepare for retirement, and there are few workers who are ready to step in. One of my clients commented on some of her recent retirements by saying it is like watching history go out the door. Her employees are getting older, and she questions who will be there in five years.

Faced with a labor shortage, many employers are hoping that if they raise wages they may be able to fix the problem. However, getting into a bidding war is a fight most cannot win. There always will be someone with deeper pockets.

And frankly, hoping is not a good business strategy. The only way to avert a crisis is to start doing things differently. Recruiting the same old ways, hoping to find candidates in the same labor pool in which everyone else is fishing, will not result in more candidates. Your recruitment must be strategic. The types of candidates you are looking for and the places you will find them will require nontraditional approaches.

Working with fewer, more skilled workers is part of the answer. Efficiencies and technology are also key.

Focus your efforts on developing your talent. Organizations should realize that by developing their talent through work experiences and training they are more likely to keep their people, and that's a better alternative than becoming the farm club for other organizations.

Employers are faced with a critical challenge. At a time when there are fewer people entering the work force, organizations have more people preparing to retire. The time to take proactive steps to address this crisis is now.

Begin the process by identifying the key positions in your organization and assessing whether you have the talent internally. Implement initiatives to develop your people. Create a bench. If you don't have the talent, begin plans to find the talent on the outside. And last, take care of your high -potential employees to ensure that they remain with you.

Remember, the Patriots' philosophy of developing a team that can win today while always preparing for the future has proven to be quite successful. It works.

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