Same hymn sheet please
by DR RUDI WEBSTERDuring the late seventies and the eighties, the people of the West Indies enjoyed a special sense of pride and achievement and a remarkable enrichment of their self-worth as the West Indies team conquered all before them and dominated world cricket for over fifteen years. That dominance started during World Series Cricket when Kerry Packer and his creative and pioneering team of administrators and technicians, and Clive Lloyd and his talented West Indians changed forever the way cricket was conceived, organized, played and presented to the public.
During that time, I was fortunate to see the West Indies players at close quarters and witnessed the mental revolution of self-acceptance that they went through. Not only did that revolution boost their pride, self-image, self-confidence and will to win, but it also changed their beliefs, values, priorities, thinking and work ethic. The once “cavalier calypso team” suddenly became a highly disciplined and professional unit that thrilled millions of cricket lovers around the world with brilliant performances.
That transformation was made possible by good leadership from the captain and from every member of the West Indies team. Equally important was the strong leadership of Kerry Packer and his professional staff. Players and administrators saw the same picture of the future they wanted to create. In addition, they shared similar beliefs, values and priorities. Since they were all highly motivated and were singing from the same hymn sheet they were able to work harmoniously and productively.
It was during that time that I learned about the importance of an efficient administrative board or team. It is almost impossible to have repeated success on the field if the board or administrative team behind the players is not functioning well. I have often said that if I had a free hand to improve the performance of a professional sports team I would start with the committee or board. I would try to get members to do honest self-examinations, attempt to heal puffed up egos and unhealthy attitudes and to instill correct values and beliefs. After, I would move on to the coaches and players.
Over the last fifteen years West Indies cricket has been in a nosedive and during World Cup 2007 it reached its lowest point. Since then, supporters have directed great anger and hostility at the West Indies Cricket Board and the players. Worse is the continuation and apparent intensification of the ‘war’ between the Board and its players. Confusion and negative thinking dominate in this hostile atmosphere and the way forward has been shrouded in dark clouds.
Looking on from the outside one gets the impression that there is a disconnection between the Board and the players as a result of a conflict of values and perceptions. Why do people disagree, fight with each other and perform poorly? They usually do so because they want different things; because they see things differently; and because they use adversarial and negative thinking as their major form of thinking.
Beliefs and values are probably the most important ingredients in civilization. If you want to find out how someone is likely to feel or behave, check out his hierarchy of values. In any situation there are many values, some higher than others. In general, the high values are the ones that determine action.
Recently, I asked a player what he thought the Board’s most important values were. He said, “First, ego, power and control; second, survival, status and recognition; third, money; fourth, responsibility to sponsors and the public; and way down the list, cricket matters and responsibility to the players!”
When the same question about the players was put to a board member, he said, “The players’ first important priority is money and status, closely followed by off-field activities. Next is power and control. Cricket matters, on-field activities and performance are way down the list. And responsibility to the public and sponsors trail everything else.”
If those observations are correct both the Board and players have serious problems.
The Board and the players must now reorder and realign their values in order to work together towards shared priorities and common ideals. They must understand that cricket matters must be their first and most important priority. They must also understand that egos, status, survival, personal agendas and the power of their position should take second place to cricket performance and development.
What can we learn from the Kerry Packer revolution and from current literature about good leadership, teamwork and performance?
The Board must first create an agenda for change that includes a clear vision or detailed and high definition picture of what West Indies can be and should be in five to ten years.
That vision must take into account the short term and long term interests of all parties and stakeholders.
There must be a clear and effective strategy for achieving that vision.
That strategy must consider all the important factors in the organization and its environment.
It is very difficult to find and put together the right pieces of a jigsaw puzzle if there isn’t a picture on the box. But as soon as the picture is available the task becomes much easier.
Second, the Board must build a powerful implementation network. The network must have a highly competent, knowledgeable and motivated core of people who are committed to working together as a cohesive team to make the Board’s vision a reality.
That network must include key sources of power and must effectively manage its vertical relations over which it has control, and its lateral relations over which it has little control.
To implement that agenda the network must master the process of planning, briefing, executing and the often neglected but important practice of debriefing.
One wonders whether the Board with its old structure and modus operandi can create and implement that agenda for change. Perhaps it needs to change its thinking and restructure itself. It must remember the old adage that form and structure should always follow function and purpose - not the other way round.
If the Board ignores that adage and retains its antiquated structure it will end up with an elephant and not understand why it cannot fly when they ask it to do so. Today’s rapidly changing sports world is very complex and competitive. Business as usual is no longer an option for the Board or the players.