PatWilliamsMotivate June Newsletter

Hello everyone! In the last newsletter I spoke about character and how I defined it as an ingrained pattern of qualities, traits and moral attributes that define how a person will act in times of stress, crisis or temptation. This concept leads into the topic of what to look for in a team player. The foundation of successful people is strong character, and the foundation of successful teams is a roster of "team players." This four-step process, outlined in my book, The Magic of Team Work, will explain the necessities of creating a cohesive team atmosphere in any environment.

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In my first years with the Magic acquiring top talent like Shaq and Penny was what pushed us into a NBA powerhouse. As former coach from the Boston Celtic’s, Red Auerbach once said, “How you select people is more important that how you manage them once they’re on the job.” The selection processes in creating a team on or off the court can be produced by a series of steps that I personally have learned by trial and errors and have gleaned them from the top team-builders across the country.

The first step and what I believe to be the most important is the process of assessing ability. Choose players according to how well their strengths and skills fit the goals and tasks of your organization. I know this step seems obvious however it is a step easily overlooked.

Longtime NBA Coach and Hall of Famer and a man I greatly respect Dr. Jack Ramsey shared with me as we discussed the outline of this book, “Pat you’ve forgotten the most important thing in building a team: How do you get the talent? If you don’t have the right people with the right skills to do the job, you’re dead in the water. Assessing the talent your players is the first step in building a sports organization, a business organization, or any other kind of team.”

Skill assessment is a little more complex than just a short interview over the phone. You have to ask yourself, “Why does this person want the job?” Fact is, making a mistake in acquiring talent can be very costly to a team or an organization. Hiring someone who simply doesn’t fit can not only affect the cohesiveness of your team or group but also the financial stability. Using figures a misjudgment in assessing ability can cost an organization anywhere from 5, 700 dollars to 50,000 dollars when adding recruiting costs.

The Orlando Magic “team” is much more than guys who play basketball. There are a lot of people who make a season happen – people the public never see. The particular tool we use in acquiring talent is a highly regarded psychological profile. It acts as a helpful indicator of an individual’s emotional stability and mental make up as well as ability to function in a team environment. For those people the public rarely see’s the Magic rely on the usual assessment tools of resumes, references and interviews.

However, here’s a different approach different than the usual, “human resources” approach to acquiring skill. A “resource is an asset, a supply of something, a thing that you utilize in order to produce a profit. I prefer to think people are partners and as team members to build a strong relationship. I wonder if changing what is viewed as the “human relations department” to “team building centers.” My theory is this would open the door to a more, “team” approach to locating and acquiring top skill.

One of the most effective ways of locating new talent is by asking current team players to personally recommend people to fill in the holes. People who already know your team already have an understanding of the teams’ goals, chemistry and needs and they are more likely to turn up the right people for the positions than any human relations director.

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Next month, I will continue to detail the essential traits of "team players." I will look at the lives and advice from successful athletes, coaches, politicians and entrepreneurs who have produced great triumphs—such as Coach John Wooden, Michael Jordan, Sandra Day O'Connor and Walt Disney. I hope to motivate and mentor you to become the leaders I know you can be. Also, be sure to visit the other motivational sections of my website: my motivational quotes, my recommended reading and my joke corner.

If you have any recommendations or reactions to the newsletter, I’d love to hear them. I want to make this newsletter the most helpful newsletter on the web. I look forward to hearing from you!
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Pat Williams travels the United States speaking to companies, associations, churches and schools. Whether you need a keynote address, an emcee or a motivational talk for you meeting or seminar, Pat Williams will make your conference an event to remember. For more information about scheduling Pat Williams, please visit our event booking page.