How to Create Team Chemistry: Why the White Sox Won the World Series (when they did!)
The White Sox won the World Series because they deserved it.
How did they do it? How does a team break through and do something they’ve never done? We saw many of the same elements in last year’s Red Sox and I’ll point to a few things I think we all can learn from.
First, you have to have enough talent. Next, they had the intangible element athletes talk about all the time – chemistry. We kept hearing the players talk about how they were all pulling on the same rope. While it is hard to put your finger on what chemistry is, we do know a couple of tangible things about it.
First is a clear goal. Goal here refers to the number one aspiration as a “team”, and not as an “individual”. Many players would think of themselves, worrying about their stats, keeping their jobs, looking good, and other psychological needs to feed themselves rather than think of winning as a team. Championship teams aren’t supposed to be like that. Goals are set for the win – which is accomplished by teammates with unity while playing.
Another key element is Role Clarity. Players are clear on what their role is.
Next is Role Acceptance. Each player accepts his or her role. They don’t have to be happy about, but they do need to accept it and focus their energies on successfully executing the requirements of that role.
The final element I’ll mention is belief. The White Sox and any other team that wins believes they can and will win. No individual or team can outperform the image they have of themselves. The “We can do this” energy is very positive and very focused on the goal. Doubt defuses the energy a team puts out and interferes with peak performance.
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