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Ken Chapman & Assoc. |
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Article
Remember
The
Titans A few years ago, screen writer, Gregory Alan Howard, moved from Los Angeles to Alexandria, Virginia. He was no stranger to the state having spent some of his growing up years in Norfolk. But he found he especially liked Alexandria. It had the historical interest of having been George Washington’s home town. But the thing that really impressed Howard, an African American, was that black and white people lived and worked closely together, unlike many other parts of the nation. One day after he had settled in, Howard was at a barber shop and heard men talking about a local high school football team and how great it was. They went on and on about the players and their accomplishments. Finally, Howard asked where the team would be playing their next game so that he could watch them. That is when he discovered that the team the men loved was from 1971. Howard could not believe it. After nearly three decades, that particular team was just as important to the people of the town as the team that was still playing. Howard got to thinking and then he started researching. The more he found out, the more intrigued he became. He decided to write a screen play about the events surrounding that team and the script was made into a movie called, Remember the Titans. If you have seen the movie, you probably remember that it was set at a time when many communities in the United States were in the process of dismantling segregation. In 1971, the town of Alexandria took tangible steps toward racial equality when it combined the populations of three high schools, two white and one black, into a new integrated school called T. C. Williams High School. It was a difficult time and people from both racial communities were tense over the forced interaction. The first groups to come together were the black and white high school football players who were on a team together for the first time. Adding to the tension was the fact that Herman Boone, a black coach, was selected to be the head coach of the Williams’ football team rather than Bill Yoast, a local white coach who was very popular in the community. Boone did everything in his power to bring the players of the combined teams together. He forced black and white players to ride on the buses together up to training camp. He also made them room together. But he was having a hard time getting them to come together as a team. The players kept separating themselves by race. That is, all but one white player. In a pivotal moment in the movie, Coach Boone asked that white team member for some facts about some of his African-American teammates. The player easily answered the questions. That is when the coach tells these young men that until they all learn about every other player on the team, they can expect to endure grueling practices three times a day. It did not occur easily, nor did it happen overnight, but the team started to come together. Years later when asked in an interview what the keys were to getting the team to bond, Coach Herman Boone said, “Winning did it. Winning solves everything. It’s also about communication, talking to each other. We forced the kids to spend time with each other, to find out things about each other. Every player was required to spend time with teammates who were of a different race.” That action turned the Titans around and the team did win. They won every game of their regular season, the playoffs, and the state championship. By the time they had finished, the Titans of 1971 were ranked the best high school team in the nation. But more important than wins on the field was their impact off the field. In response to the Titans, the President of the United States, who lived less than ten miles away across the Potomac River, stated simply, “The team saved the city of Alexandria.” Boone agreed. He remarked, “The town decided to follow the team rather than those who wanted to tear the team and the town down. I believe the team did play a great role in keeping the city calm and focused positively toward these young men who had shown the city that you can get along if you just talk to each other.” And that is why, to this day, the people of Alexandria still remember and talk about the Titans. Stated bluntly, you and I cannot have teamwork unless we are willing to talk with each other. Without the willingness to listen to each other, we cannot understand each other. Without communication, we do not have a team, instead we have a collection of individuals. If we evaluate a good team, we will find that its players have some common characteristics. One of these is that they communicate with each other. (1) They do not isolate themselves from each other. The key problem Herman Boone had to overcome on his newly formed team was isolation. The players of one race isolated themselves from the players of the other race. Any time a player becomes isolated, it is a problem for the team. If entire sections of the team become isolated, that problem only grows. The more teammates know about each other and about the team’s goals and methods, the more they will understand. The more they understand, the more they will care. A player with passion as well as connection is an asset to the team. (2) Make it easy for teammates to communicate with each other. Most communication problems can be solved with proximity. That is why Herman Boone used it to get his team to gel. Putting players of different races on the same buses and forcing them to room with one another made communication more likely to happen. If you and I look at good leaders and the impact of players on a team, you and I will find that they not only stay connected with their teammates, they also make sure their teammates are able to make contact with them easily. (3) Follow the twenty-four hour rule. When some people are faced with conflict or interpersonal difficulties, they avoid the person with whom they are having the problem. But time alone does not usually fix such situations. Without knowing both sides of the story, people tend to give the benefit of the doubt to themselves and to assign negative motives to others. Without communication, the situation just festers. That is why team members need to follow the twenty-four hour rule. If we have any kind of difficult or conflict with a teammate, we should not let more than twenty-four hours go by without addressing it. In fact, the sooner we communicate the better. (4) Give attention to potentially difficult relationships. Relationships need attention to thrive. That is especially true of relationships between people who are potential for conflict. One of the most volatile relationships on the Titans team was between white linebacker, Gerry Bertier, and black defensive end, Julius Campbell. The two started out hating each other and they butted heads constantly. But through the course of the season, they became fast friends. When Bertier was paralyzed in an auto accident and lying in his hospital bed, the first person he asked for was Julius. Their relationship may have developed slowly, but it grew strong. (5) Follow-up important communication in writing. The more difficult communication becomes, the more important it is to work to keep it clear and simple. That often means putting communication in writing. It is not accidental that most marriages have vows, football teams have play books, and partnerships have contracts. And communication with your teammates is important. You will find it is easier to keep everyone on the same page if you have written it down for everyone’s benefit. bsp; We should ask ourselves how we have been when it comes to communication. Are we well connected to all our teammates? Have we neglected some people and excluded them from our circle of communication? Or have we isolated ourselves from others for the sake of being more productive? The fact is that we may accomplish more individual goals that way, but we may be hurting the team’s productivity. Can members of our team approach us or are we unapproachable? Any time we are on a team, but not communicating with team members, the team suffers. So when you think about the importance of team communication, remember the Titans. For more information about Ken Chapman and Associates’ Leadership Development Programs, contact Ken Chapman at 205.366.0265 or email Ken at kchapman@leaderscode.com. <End> |
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