7 Practices of Terrible Teams

7 Practices Of Terrible Teams

Earlier this week I wrote a post entitled 7 Practices Of Highly Effective Teams.  This post has resonated the readers of this site.  But when you discuss what makes some teams so successful, you have to also ask the opposite question.  Why do some teams perform so poorly?
To discover the answer to this question, I went back in my files to take a look at the 2008 Oakland Raiders, one of the most dysfunctional teams in recent memory.  So in response to the 7 Practices Of Highly Effective Teams, the following are 7 Practices Of Terrible Teams:
Whether you lead a church, business, athletic organization or non-profit, this list provides a picture of what you do not want your organization to be like.

1. Terrible Teams Have Leaders Who Take No Responsibility – In fact, they blame each other for their misfortunes.  Upon firing head coach Lane Kiffin, 79-year-old owner Al Davis held a 45-minute news conference explaining his decision.  In a definitive statement, Davis said, “It hurts because I picked the wrong guy.  I picked the wrong guy.”
2. Terrible Teams Have Unstable Leadership – After Kiffin was fired, the team rehired Art Shell as its head coach.  He was their fifth head coach in five years.
3. Terrible Teams Have Leaders Who Are Not On Board – Quarterback Rich Gannon told Sirius NFL Radio, “It’s not a tough place to work – it’s an impossible place to work.  It’s an organization that is, in my opinion, dysfunctional.”
4. Terrible Teams Make Reckless Personnel Decisions – DeAngelo Hall has had a very respectable NFL career.  However, he did not receive the seven-year, $70 million contract given by the Raiders. He was cut after eight games.  Hall was not alone.  The team overpaid countless players.
5. Terrible Teams Are Micro-Managed – In terrible organizations, leaders are not released to lead.  ESPN.com writer Greg Garber wrote, “The primary issue in Oakland is control.  Davis won’t relinquish much, if any.”
6. Terrible Teams Make Poor Decisions – A primary difference between successful and unsuccessful teams is the ability to make good decisions.  Under Davis’s leadership, the Raiders often valued speed in their players over more important measurables like weight, strength, production, IQ and personality profiles.
7. Terrible Teams Resist Change – Many terrible organizations were once thriving.  But what made you successful yesterday will not keep you successful today or tomorrow.  As the world was becoming more computer-savvy, the Raiders were one of the last teams to embrace technology in terms of scouting and the running of their operation.

Take No Responsibility, Have Unstable Leadership, Have Leaders Who Are Not On Board, Make Reckless Personnel Moves, Micro-Manage, Make Poor Decisions, and Resist Change.  Practice these seven items and you are sure to have a terrible team.