Tough Talk: Teamwork Wins in the End

I wouldn’t consider myself a rabid sports fan. I religiously played the big three sports (baseball, basketball and football) throughout my childhood and adolescence but always preferred to play the sport rather than spectate. In spite of this posture, I find myself following local sports teams on more of a social level than as a lifestyle.

Twenty-one years ago I moved to Columbus, Ohio, and it has been impossible not to notice The Ohio State University teams and their omnipresent “Buckeye Nation” of fans. What transpired this past season gave me reason to pause and reflect on how an organization “wins.”

As probably most of you are aware, the OSU Buckeyes captured the national college football championship a couple weeks ago. How they accomplished this feat is quite exemplary of the manner well-run operations succeed. Let me break it down.

The college football pundits expected Ohio State to enjoy a strong year up until the start of the season when disaster struck. Their number quarterback, a Heisman Trophy candidate, suffered a season-ending shoulder injury. The hopes of fans and official rankings plummeted even lower when the Buckeyes lost their season opener to a lesser ranked team.

What transpired after this loss and how it was accomplished was remarkable. In my mind, the success that followed was grounded in excellent leadership and a true team effort. The head coach never wavered in his vision of excellence for the team. He provided strong leadership and clear strategies and let his staff of assistants carry out their jobs. What the individuals on the team did was simply amazing. Without their starting quarterback the control of the offense was handed to the second stringer who performed admirably in racking up win after win. With his serious injury late in the season, the third string quarterback was required to step up.

This kid comes from a tough Cleveland neighborhood and rose to the occasion to beat three very highly ranked teams on his team’s road to the National Championship. Experts picked the Buckeyes to lose each of these games however through strong leadership and a very concerted team effort they prevailed. Most interestingly all wins were mastered from a combination of stellar effort by every player on the field. Not only did the obvious play makers excel, but the linemen in the trenches significantly outperformed their opposing counterparts.

So how does all this blather about football relate to the powder coating industry? In the course of my daily experiences in consulting, troubleshooting and training powder coating companies, I see organizations that excel and those that founder. The operations that “win” all follow the model that I witnessed with this year’s national football champion.

To wit: A successful business requires solid leadership. A strong CEO doesn’t micro-manage but provides incisive vision, strategy, and the resources for his or her lieutenants to guide and manage their departments. These mid-range managers are always highly capable, well-respected and handsomely compensated by the CEO. In turn the shop floor people are well-trained, well-equipped and fairly compensated for their contributions.

A well-managed operation such as this has heroes at all levels. In addition, when adversity strikes the team (e.g., loss of key players or resources) there is always someone to set up and fill the void.

When I look at the Buckeyes’ unexpected success this past season, I recognize how not only the coaching staff and offensive leaders on the field contributed but also how the unsung heroes on the line toiled in the trenches to achieve victory. And so it goes with a powder coating operation. It’s not just the CEO and managers that win the game, it is also the line workers, maintenance personnel and clerks who create a winning effort.

Kevin Biller is technical editor of Powder Coated Tough and the president of The Powder Coating Research Group. He can be reached at kevinbiller@yahoo.com