A641.5.3.RB - ICT at the Team Level


Looking at a dynamic like the one found on the 2004 men’s basketball Dream Team, it’s easy to see cracks in the group’s metaphorical foundation. The team was uber-talented — names like LeBron James, Tim Duncan, Allen Iverson, etc. filled the roster. — but the players lacked synergy. Many of them were too young to even rent a car or buy alcohol. They had no history as teammates. “Duncan and Iverson were chosen captains of the squad, (and) the two couldn't have been more different” (Maisonet, 2017).
Much of the team’s dynamic, though, plays in direct contrast to the one found on the 2000 Olympic U.S. women’s soccer team. “Of the 15 Women's World Cup veterans, 11 were on the team that won the Olympic gold medal in 1996” (US Soccer, 2017). This team had history, synergy. The players understood their roles, and they had an experienced leader in April Heinrichs, a former player herself, and someone the other players could relate to as a peer. “Transformation at the group level can be catalyzed and facilitated by formal or informal positive emotional leadership in the group” (Akrivou, 2006).

The men’s basketball team, however, was led by coach Larry Brown, who preached a “conservative and throwback style of basketball” (Maisonet, 2017). This ruffled the feathers of his players, who were young and already flashing a modern style throughout their ascent to the NBA. Coach and team were not on the same page.

Obviously, both teams wanted to win, but achieving an optimal team dynamic has more to it than simply sharing desire or intention. The players that make up the team also need to share a vision of their ideal selves — essentially, they need to be working toward a shared goal, but also for shared reasons. “Intentionality and shared ideals are the drivers of change and group transformation” (Akrivou, 2006).
It could be argued that, although the players on the Dream Team shared one ideal — to win — they did not share a vision for how to accomplish that goal. These players were stars, leaders of their respective teams in the NBA, but sharing the spotlight didn’t come easily. “A team of superstars who don’t work together will not be successful. Build the best team possible, but hire team players” (Limpert, 2012).
The Dream Team had no shortage of talent, but it was never quite cohesive. “The emergence and exploration of an ‘ideal self’ is seen as the motivational force behind intentional change, composed mainly by three core features, namely hope, an image of a desired future, and core identity” (Akrivou, 2006). But what was the team’s identity? A collection of various, conflicting, and “big” personalities — Iverson, for example, was described as a “one-man dynamo” (Maisonet, 2017) — the team had no true “leader,” its style was never agreed upon or reinforced, and it lacked the power derived from focused relationship-building. It had an identity crisis, which served as a roadblock to its true potential.

Taking a closer look at the Dream Team — the only U.S. basketball team to that point to ever bring home less than gold — serves as a great lesson to the importance of proper team-building. Talent is not all that is needed in order to achieve great things. In order to truly excel, a team must share a vision for their ideal selves, a roadmap toward achieving that vision, and they need to understand each other’s’ roles, and understand each other as people. Until those building blocks are in place — until a collection of players becomes a true “team” — excellence will always appear just out of reach.

References

Akrivou, K., Boyatzis, R. E., & McLeod, P. L. (2006). The evolving group: Towards a prescriptive theory of intentional group development. Journal of Management Development, 25(7), 689-706. doi:10.1108/02621710610678490

Limpert, C. (2012). Lessons from basketball's olympic 'dream team'. Retrieved from https://www.inc.com/olympics/caroline-limpert/how-to-lead-a-team-of-superstars.html

Maisonet, E. (2017). The miseducation of the 2004 U.S. men's olympic basketball team. Retrieved from https://bleacherreport.com/articles/2731575-the-miseducation-of-the-2004-us-mens-olympic-basketball-team

US Soccer. (2017). Heinrichs names united states olympic women's soccer team. Retrieved from /stories/2014/03/17/13/13/heinrichs-names-united-states-olympic-womens-soccer-team

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