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[The story you are about to hear is true. The names have been changed to protect the guilty.]

The Case of "Unsportsmanlike [Team] Conduct"

By Lynn Homisak, PRT

This article was reprinted with permission from Podiatry Management Magazine

This is the City...New Orleans..."The Big Easy", one of the most beloved and visited cities in America. It's no wonder! They have Bourbon Street, the French Quarter, Preservation Hall, Mardi Gras, Café du Monde, Creole cuisine, soulful music and the famed Superdome, host to more NFL Super Bowls than any other facility; where fans go to faithfully cheer for their home football team, the "Saints."

It's funny how the word "team" is usually synonymous with the word "sports" when, in truth, teams are hardly limited to the sports world. They come in all sizes and walks of life. It is also a misconception to think that in order to be a "team" there must be a large number of participants when in fact, as little as two people are all that is needed to fill the bill. A husband and wife, for example, are a team as are the NY Mets, Chicago Bears or LA Lakers. While different GAME rules apply, the rules of the TEAM should be the same whether there are two players or 2000. It is with this thought in mind that we visit New Orleans NOT to meet with Sean Payton, the Saints head coach, but rather with our newest client Dr. Pontchartrain and his team...Patty, Connie, Brenda and Lily.

Like any major city, crime happens in New Orleans. You almost expect it out on the streets, but not in a private medical office setting and yet, in our work, we find that misconduct knows no boundaries. Our dear Dr. Pontchartrain was our latest whodunit victim. It started with his phone call. He described the situation in his office as "a sudden lack of employee teamwork" and listed his four employees as the offenders. Had it not been for our trained eyes and ears, we would have bought into his story - hook, line and sinker; however, we've learned to become suspicious whenever we hear the word "sudden" and this was no exception. In order to get to the bottom of this mystery, we needed to do an onsite background check of our own...and the sooner the better. We booked the red-eye into MSY (named after Moisant Stock Yards) Airport and we were on the Pontchartrain Team quicker than powdered sugar on a hot beignet. (mmmm....) We are, after all, SOS...we carry a computer.

We wasted no time. As soon as we arrived at Dr. Pontchartrain's office, we were on the lookout for concrete evidence to substantiate his allegations and it didn't take us long at all to find that teamwork (or lack thereof) was in fact the culprit. We didn't need a magnifying glass to search for signs; evidence was everywhere starting the staff who showed noticeably little cooperation. They had guilt written all over their faces. We soon learned however that there was more to this mystery than meets the eye. It seems our dear Dr. Pontchartrain was more involved with this crime than he led us to believe. Here's how it all went down.

We started by interrogating the good doctor. What does teamwork mean to you?" we asked. He rattled off a definition, as if Encarta was whispering in his ear... "team-work [ teém wùrk ], noun. 1. Cooperative work by group: a cooperative effort by a group or team." OK, his well-prepared alibi may have fooled some; but it was all smoke and mirrors as far as we were concerned. We knew better. After delving a little deeper, we discovered his team did indeed fall apart, but that Dr. P's negligence was to blame. In fact, if "teamwork is the fuel that allows common people to attain uncommon results", this group was out of gas! He pleaded no contest and was sentenced to follow our step-by-step blueprint to help him rebuild his group. He was given the following key for reference as we reviewed the steps with him. [See Figure 1 ]:

Step One: Know your Players (and let the players get to know each other) There are many challenges that go along with getting a group of people in one setting (especially in a work environment) and expect great things from them. Before you can experience good teamwork, you must start with a good team and yet, personality conflicts create some of the greatest internal problems. Unfortunately, behavior modification is not an easy task. We encouraged Dr. P. to allow an atmosphere where his players can to get to know each other, maybe over lunch; where they have an opportunity to learn more about who they are; their personalities, interests, skills and experiences. Co-workers are much more tolerable of each other if they feel that a social friendship and closeness exists.

Step Two: Team Placement & Organization: Make sure the players know who's who on the field. Are they aware who their equals are; their coach and their captain; and who they need to report to? Taking the time to review a visual organizational chart of the practice can put things into better perspective for them. Additionally, it's essential for those in a management position to have a clear understanding of each team player's skills and interests, so that tasks can be delegated based on their individual strengths and weaknesses. When all the pieces fit and everyone is doing what comes naturally to them, a special synergy develops and in turn, a successful output... otherwise known as teamwork!

Step Three: Training & Conditioning: In order for a winning team to emerge, proper instruction and coaching is mandatory regardless of who wears the leadership hat. Players need to know what their roles and responsibilities are; what is expected of them and what they can expect in return. Team players not only need leadership, they crave it. When Dr. P. did not physically step into that role, there was no one to pull them together, recognize their individual talents, help develop their skills or support their efforts. When there is a lack of leadership, rules get broken, unworthy players try to take control, everyone does as they please and chaos and/or apathy takes over. As we said earlier, when leadership wanes, (as it did for Dr. Pontchartrain), it's unlikely you'll see a sudden death ending, but rather a slow, painful one. Sometimes, by the time it's noticeable, it's already too late to save it.

Step Four: Goals and Objectives: The phrase "getting everyone on the same page" has been beaten to death and yet, it's the best way to define why a team needs goals and objectives. When Dr. Pontchartrain hired his team, he failed to discuss with them the target goals he had for his practice. It is important for doctors to remember that staff are not mind readers; so if you don't TELL them what your expectations are, they can never know. Same thing applies to goals. Make a point to sit your team down and "get them on the same page" by aligning their work to your overall game plan; then monitor and revisit them so no one on the team loses sight of the direction.

Step Five: The Rule Book: In addition to skilled leadership qualities - the rule book is probably the second most important tool Dr. P. needs to have in his repertoire to keep his team in line. One of its most important functions is to define the team philosophies, policies and protocols. A rule book (aka office manual) outlines the benefits of belonging, the consequences for foul play and because the same rules apply to all, assures that all players are treated equally and fairly. We emphasize that possessing a rule book did not mean leaving it to collect dust on a shelf; but to use it, refer to it and update it regularly.

Step Six: Conduct: How Dr. P's team behaves on and off the field is important to his reputation, but ultimately, it is his responsibility as the team captain, to set a good example. If he promotes a positive environment; then positive things will happen. If he treats his players with respect and kindness they will be respectful and kind in return. Likewise, if he chooses to be dishonest and unfair, he can expect resentment, animosity and maybe even retribution. Once a player feels abandoned, their mindset shifts from their unified goal. They lose focus, become unbalanced and fail and when one fails, the entire team suffers. There is no crying in baseball and there's no room for unsportsmanlike conduct on a team.

Step Seven: Communication: Simply stated, within a team, there lies a diversity of perceptions (cultural, values and gender related) which in turn, can lead to a wide range of barriers and conflict between the players. The ability to communicate, (by making an effort to listen more and understand each other's point of view, being more flexible in your own thinking and finding a common denominator) can prevent these differences from becoming disabling walls of conflicts and will allow forward movement towards a mutual goal. It's such a simple formula and yet the hesitance to follow it continues to plague teams of every kind.

Step Eight: Feedback: Without providing your employees with an evaluation of their work, they will never know what they need to improve and their performance may never be up to your standards. Don't assume that because they are self-assured individuals that they don't need words of encouragement. Sincere praise for a job well done is appreciated by all. It not only encourages repeat behavior, it's the best way to keep your players from becoming free agents. Schedule time outs for necessary huddles and formal reviews with staff to reward or critique their efforts. You're only hurting yourself if you don't.

Dr. Pontchartrain implemented all our recommendations and soon found out what a real high performance team can do for his practice. By helping them pull together, he realized that their individual brain power, thoughts and feelings multiplied into a synergy that significantly increased the effectiveness of the larger business unit - his practice. Eventually, through better communication and cooperation, each team member actually improved their own performance and became much more committed...to the practice, to each other and yes, especially to Dr. Pontchartrain.

Henry Ford said, "Coming together is a beginning. Keeping together is progress. Working together is success." Dr. Pontchartrain learned that teamwork is not restricted to a sports field, arena or park and knew he was capable of creating his own team environment. He set achievable goals, selected the right players, became a supportive manager/leader and provided excellent training and when all was said and done, everyone came out a winner. SOS couldn't be prouder. Gooooo....Team! Now, about that Beignet....