Hamdan Siddiqui

THE ARMY CREW TEAM

1. Why does the Varsity team lose to the JV team?

The Varsity team primarily lost due to the fact that their priorities and goals were not aligned.
As mentioned in the case, the general discontent and animosity was only exacerbated by the
fact that each member on the Varsity team worked towards individual goals rather than a
common goal. The mismanagement highlighted the subordination of general interest to
individual interest which led to various problems ranging from mistrust, insecurity to perform
and deliver tangible objective results, miscommunication amongst others. Furthermore, the
outlook of the Varsity team seemed to be result oriented rather than effort oriented as
opposed to the JV team which gave the JV team a competitive edge over them.

2. What should Coach P. have done differently earlier in the season to resolve this problem?
At exactly what point should he have intervened differently?

At the outset, Coach P. should have had a balance between objective and subjective
parameters to gauge the abilities of the team members both individually as well as a group.
This would have provided him with well-rounded results without omissions of any factors or
assigning too much weight on one factor - objective, in this case. Moreover the coach should
have held routine meetings from the start to discuss underlying problems which would have
been mitigated and/or eliminated right at the start. This would have provided him with first-
hand qualitative information about team behaviour which would not have been possible
solely through the data he collected. It is quite possible that if he had taken the team‟s
behaviour, attitudes and beliefs in consideration many problems like miscommunication;
mistrust and insecurity would have been addressed and averted.

Also, I feel the coach had much trust in their abilities as individuals that would have carried
the team together and it reflected in the behaviour of the team as they looked down upon the
JV team. They even wished to prove to their coach that they were the best on their team as
well. The coach could have provided them with more discipline and direction which would
have helped the team to work collectively towards the common goal.

3. At the end of the case, what action should Coach P. take on Tuesday? Why do you
recommend this action? How should he implement this action? Please be specific.

After the heated meeting with the team members, Coach P. needs to change his tactics to
reason with the Varsity team. If meetings are too “touchy-feely” for the team, Coach P.
should alter such talks in a form that resonates with the team‟s competitive spirit. This would
mean having a day long training/competitive session off the river, in completing tasks that
require them to work together in accomplishing a larger goal. Escape Room and Treasure
Hunt type of activities compel team members to communicate, coordinate and feel a sense of
accomplishment/failure as one team. With a sense of accomplishment as one, the Varsity
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team could finally realise the crucial element that was previously obscured by their myopic
vision.

In addition, since most team members are feeling dismayed and experiencing low morale, he
could then hold a meeting discussing the purpose of these activities and the advantages and
repercussions they will face if they continue their way of working together. He could hold
certain informal activities that could help team members get to know each other better and
find common ground between them. This would help bind the team together by
understanding one another and probably help them realise that they are not very different
from each other. Such informal activities would help get rid of any hard feelings and boost
their morale as well. As there are only few days remaining, continued training along with the
above mentioned activities and clear direction by Coach P. towards achieving the victory
together will most definitely help the Varsity team perform much better than the position it
currently is in.

4. How would you compare the Army Crew team to other types of organizational teams?
What are the key similarities and differences? What lessons can we learn from the Army
Crew team?

At the core, each organisation and sport consists of teams working towards a common goal.
Whether the goal is to win a race or complete a project in the stipulated time; each member
has to play their part using similar skills such as communication, coordination and delegation.
The concept of working as a „unit‟ is also shared between the Army Crew and organisational
teams. Both require a small set of people to work together in unison to produce results.
Individual achievements come secondary to team achievement and despite being individually
capable to outperform, team performance is given precedence. Also, there is more emphasis
on creating synergies by mutual trust - that the team members will be able to deliver the tasks
assigned - and if any misstep occurs, the team has confidence in them that it will not occur
the next time, as stated in the case.

Furthermore in any team conflict is bound to occur. It is more important to learn to resolve
conflict collectively than fear conflict arising in the first place. The case also mentions of a
„coxswain‟ or a team leader in organisations. They have similar roles to motivate, lead and
act as a point of contact between managers and team members. The more effectively the team
leader undertakes their role and manages the workflow between the two, the greater the
chances of success.

Conversely a crucial difference between the Army Crew and organisational teams is that the
Army Crew team requires a strict uniform delivery of performance whereas organisational
teams seek a varied input from their members which helps them deliver their best output.
This fundamental difference almost makes both teams uniquely disparate.

In conclusion, key takeaways from the Army Crew team is that even if there are tangible
differences in performance, team cohesion will provide better results in the long run as seen
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with the JV team. Another lesson learnt is that conflict is inevitable, and conflict resolution
with the whole team is essential to ensure smooth delivery of results. This also encourages
team members to have a sense of camaraderie like the JV team and eliminate chances of
communication gaps and mistrust as developed by the Varsity team.