Leaving for a Payoff

While sitting through a focus group regarding salary for educators I found my mind wandering toward the similarities and differences with the pro sports industry and Florida’s A+ incentive pay.

When it comes to team sports pro athletes play each game to add another victory to the win column, each providing a closer step to the playoffs and a championship. Prestige follows each success as well as monetary incentives; both welcomed yet only one pays the bills, provides for the family, and secures a comfortable retirement. A successful team reaches the championship, that being the case, how does the attitude and aspirations change of the individual Superstar who year after year performs at an exceptional level yet fails to make the championship or the playoffs? In order to achieve the incentive pay, does the Superstar stay with the team and provide leadership and support to move the team closer to the championship or does the Superstar leave the team to join a franchise with similar Superstars? Is earning base salary enough or is that bonus necessary to make ends meet?

In order to achieve the Florida A+ incentives, does the successful educator stay with the school and provide leadership and support to move the faculty closer to the vision and mission (and test scores)or does the successful educator leave the team to join a school with similar successful educators? Is earning base salary enough or is that bonus necessary to make ends meet? In isolation does the Florida A+ plan place successful educators in a position to consider transferring to a school with other successful educators?

I do realize that the comparison to sports is quite complex and involves more than what I discuss here. Let me know if you care to engage in conversations on tax base, salary caps, team ownership, bond issues, Pay for Performance or the hundreds of other variable that comprise the system of sports or education.

Just to throw this out there…is it the successful team that reaches the championship or the wealthy team?

Team Leadership

While there might be no I in Team, is there a need for a leader?

While watching Kevin Costner’s “For Love of the Game” I am reminded how the accomplishment of an individual brings out the best of the team and helps define the role and responsibility of leadership. As pitcher Billy Chapel is second guessing his ability to accomplish the Holy Grail of pitching, a No-Hitter, his catcher Gus reassures him that he has the support of the team.

Gus Sinki offers comfort with the following, “The boys are all here for ya, we'll back you up, we'll be there, cause, Billy, we don't stink right now. We're the best team in baseball, right now, right this minute, because of you. You're the reason. We're not gonna screw that up, we're gonna be awesome for you right now. Just throw.” While the outcome of this game was determined by a screenwriter, there have been moments where the success of the leader brings out the success of the team.

I am starting to believe that there is a time and place that a leader will emerge and help set the vision and pace for success. So which came first…the identification of the leader or success defining leadership?

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Is it Culture Shock or Culture Change?

I am not going to be another fan who joins the “Here we go again” bandwagon with the new Dolphin head coach. Even though Tony Sparano was named the latest head coach in what seems to be a revolving door of leaders for this organization I have seen two indicators that just might produce different results.

1) Identifying and hiring a leader. When it comes to Dolphin football, the buck stops with Bill Parcells. He has a vision and hired management staff who has already demonstrated similar beliefs.

2) A Coach who understands coaching. When asked about his players, Sparano keyed in on what the research says about achieving results- it’s about the coaching. "We're going to surround our players with the best coaches and teachers. We're going to work them as hard as we can. At the end of the day, we hope that will be good enough." Being hired by Bill Parcells, we know Tony’s work will hard and SMART.

For the past few years the Dolphins have not been meeting their AYP goals, Tony believes he is the right person to lead this organization. Does everyone else feel the same way?

Lucky Number 12

Did you know that…
In astrology, there are 12 signs in the Zodiac.
In English, twelve is the number of greatest magnitude that has just one syllable.
There are normally twelve pairs of ribs in the human body.
As of today November 14, 2007 there have been 12 starting quarterbacks for the Miami Dolphins since the retirement of Dan Marino.

You might have known some if not all of these facts yet I would bet the last one is probably the most relevant for South Florida natives. I like most have been frustrated with the lack of team performance of our Miami Dolphins these past few years yet to be honest I did not expect much with the revolving door of quarterbacks. More often than not the offensive leader of a football team is the man who stands behind the Center, that being the case, just how can a team reach greatness without leadership ability …or is it stability? Right now the only change I can handle is the structuring of the team around quarterback number 12, John Beck.

Just imagine the possibilities if the right people are placed around him.
Just imagine the possibilities if this team starts to align their beliefs to their actions.
Just imagine the possibilities if the Dolphins front office have the patience to rebuild.
Just imagine the possibilities if the fans return. Then again some have never left.