I have mentioned this in my classes and last week's race brought the topic to the forefront again: The importance of teamwork in racing should not be ignored. Last year, Ryan Hunter-Reay was asked, "what was the difference this year?" or why were you so successful this year compared to previous years? His short answer: he finally felt like he was part of a team. And that team takes awhile to develop; it doesn't happen overnight. The bond he felt to that team ultimately led him to remain with Andretti Autosport instead of joining the Captain's team. Certainly the Andretti drivers provide a good example of how teamwork leads to success.
A lot of outsiders who don't understand racing think that all you have to do is put the driver in the car, go fast, and the fastest driver wins. Of course it's not that simple. There are a lot of parts and individuals that have to work effectively together in order to come out on top. That seems to be happening at Andretti Autosport. Its drivers know it, and it's why they seem to be winning more and more. Last year's championship run has carried over to this year: Two of the top three drivers at St. Pete came from this team.
The textbook I currently use in one of my classes, Communicating at Work by Ronald B. Adler & Jeanne Marquardt Elmhorst, lists eight primary characteristics of successful teams. Let's think about how successful IndyCar teams like Andretti Autosport embody these characteristics, and how IndyCar as a whole could embrace them even more.
- Shared goals: championship-caliber teams usually identify "winning" as their shared goal. Whatever the goal, everyone on the team has to be on board with it. And good teams don't just assume everyone understands the goal; they develop that goal as a team and communicate it to each other often.
- Results-driven structure: the team is focused, organized, and task-oriented. Laziness is not generally tolerated.
- Competent team members: teammates must have the required skills to succeed. One teammate's weakness should be another teammate's strength.
- Unified commitment: this is the old adage "play for the name of the front of the jersey, not the name on the back." Successful teams use the word "we" rather than "I."
- Collaborative climate: the team environment should encourage success through trust, support, and positivity. Negative Nancies do not encourage success. Teams have fun with each other; it's enjoyable to be a part of the team and teammates have each others' backs.
- Standards of excellence: teams have high expectations, and strive to meet those expectations. You might fail or make a mistake, but you can still learn from it and do better the next time.
- External support and recognition: successful teams have to have outside support. In sports, this typically means you have a supportive owner and/or coach. But it also means you have fans who cheer for you, and media who won't overly criticize every mistake you make. Media also recognize your efforts by writing about them (much like I'm doing now!).
- Principled leadership: good teams have ethical leaders who set good examples. They model the behavior they want their followers to enact.
The more characteristics a team displays, the more likely they are to be successful. Michael Andretti's team seems to be meeting these characteristics. It remains to be seen if other teams, and IndyCar's organization as a whole, will follow suit. Remember, teamwork makes a dream work!
And because I always preach to my students the importance of citing your sources, let me make sure I do that! Source:
Adler, R. B. & Marquardt Elmhorst, J. (2010). Communicating at work: Principles and practices for business and the professions (10th ed.). Boston: McGraw Hill. (see p. 240.)
