Continuing my series on highly effective teams (a series of posts inspired by great basketball teams)…

Here’s principle #3:  Great teams communicate well.

I remember watching the Celtics on TV and hearing the commentators describing a play.  An opponent was dribbling the ball up the court, and as he got closer, a teammate behind the defender started clapping his hands.  That player was identifying his position on the court so his teammate would know which side had defensive help.  That clapping sound let the defender know which way to make the offensive player take the ball.

That’s great communication.  Simple and effective.  You may be a great player, but if you don’t communicate with your teammates well, you will probably not win the game.  Here’s a few ways this plays out in our organization.

• I’m trying to encourage our staff to master the memo.  Not a quickly worded email, but a carefully crafted document about the purpose of an event or a description of an idea.  We should all know the big picture of what each ministry is up to and how it fits with in with the whole.
• For quick bursts of information or questions that have yes or no anwers, use a text message.  For sharing a little more detailed information, use an email.  And for anything that needs to be discussed, use the phone or have a conversation.  Where 3 or more people are needed, that’s a meeting.  I’m convinced that we too often have meetings when simple conversations or required, or try and have a disucssion through email.  Neither of those things are effective.
• If two people are in charge means no one is in charge.  A great question to ask is “who’s got this?”  I need to know who is ultimately responsible for something.  Tag-teaming may be great for execution, but it’s horrible for responsibility and accountability.  Who is the go to guy or gal that’s empowered to get it done?