If you’ve ever seen five-year-old children play soccer, you likely remember the image of a cluster of energetic young
players chasing a ball down the field. None of them really know what they’re doing yet, and no one wants to pass the ball.
They’re far too young to understand the importance.
While I miss those days, watching my son, Ward, play competitive club soccer reinforces the fact that passing is a proper art
form. It’s a fundamental skill that every player on the field must master. And those who do can develop into heroes, even
legends.
Similar to professional soccer teams, successful business teams acknowledge the importance of a great passing sequence
or when the entire group moves a project around from start to finish.
Passing the ball is the quickest, most effective way for a team to maintain control and win the game. Not passing is the
fastest way to lose.
Andrew Carnegie said, “Teamwork is the ability to work together toward a common vision. The ability to direct individual
accomplishments toward organizational objectives. It is the fuel that allows common people to attain uncommon results.”
Successful organizational design begins by developing a framework that aligns business strategy with people strategy,
allowing you to zero in on how individual team members can work together to accomplish more by leveraging their unique
strengths.
At Ignite, we believe there are five essential policies to organizational design: Strategy, Structure, Processes, Rewards, and
People. Just like coaching a soccer team, you have to recruit the right people, put them in the right roles, align their goals
with the company’s goals and build an organizational structure that executes well by knowing when to pass the ball.
We’ve all heard it before, but it’s worth repeating. Strategy isn’t a solo sport, even for a CEO. By embracing the art of the
pass, you can build a winning team and a company culture high in trust and superior performance.
In closing, never discount what you can learn from the sidelines. Whether it’s on the soccer field or in the board room, you
can always accomplish more with a team than you can alone.
If you’re interested in having a conversation about organizational design or passing strategy, contact us.
