Your Impact on Others is Hard to Measure, Yet It is the Hidden Key to Team Performance
Business and governments have, in part, floundered in regards to improving inclusion because it is hard to measure. Researchers Bourke and Dillon define inclusion as:
“an active process of change or integration, as well [as] an outcome, such as a feeling of belonging. In essence, when organisations or individuals adapt their practices or behaviours to respond to people, then people feel included.”
You can’t check the inclusion boxes as easily as you can with demographic or even cognitive diversity. Traditional stats look at sales made, leads generated or baskets scored. They don’t look at how someone improves the people around them just by being there. Until Shane Battier started playing pro basketball.
Battier’s conventional basketball statistics are unimpressive. “He doesn’t score many points, snag many rebounds, block many shots, steal many balls or dish out many assists,” explained sports stat expert Michael Lewis in the New York Times. But when he is on the basketball court, his teammates perform better and his opponents perform worse. Battier’s job is to guard the league’s best scorers, like LeBron James and Kobe Bryant. Those players lose their shooting touch when Battier is around. Houston Rockets’ general manager Daryl Morey says he calls Battier “Lego’’ because “when he’s on the court, all the pieces start to fit together.”
Rockets’ management started to keep track of Battier’s plus-minus score, which is a simple measurement of what happens to the score when a player is on the court. Battier’s career plus-minus score is plus 6, which Morey says is enormous, “it’s the difference between 41 wins and 60 wins.” Battier helps his team by using his intellect to make up for his lack of athleticism. Morey explains: “everything that leads to winning that you can get to through intellect instead of innate ability, Shane excels in.” He memorizes the data collected about opposing players’ weaknesses, like not shooting well when they go left instead of right. Battier ensures that they go left as often as possible. He also does a myriad of things to help his fellow teammates succeed in their roles. None of which brings Battier higher traditional stats, but it does help the team win. Morey says in basketball intelligence terms, this is “the I.Q. of where to be.”
When Battier was recovering from an injury, he only played in just over half the Rockets’ games. Morey says “we have been a championship team with him and a bubble playoff team without him.” Even Battier’s high school coach said he always “had this incredible ability to make everyone around him better.” Basketball analysts are developing more sophisticated ways to measure this ability in other players, to make their team better. But they are keeping their methods hush hush for now because it is cutting edge knowledge. Knowledge that can win championships. Now you know what the greatest minds in basketball and business know. That the cutting edge development for team performance lies in collective intelligence. Teams made up of individuals who make their teammates better, perform better. Even though inclusion is hard to measure, you can start to implement practices that improve inclusion because the research shows it makes a significant difference. Inclusion is a feeling that arises from daily actions. Even the small ones like sending a kind thank you email. They all nurture real relationships. Relationships amongst team members are the social capital that is key to team success. When you think of inclusion as a way to build strong relationships across differences, it feels more tangible. You can overcome obstacles as a group with grace, efficiency and togetherness — with way less internal conflict.
However, when you have the opposite of a Shane Battier on your team, someone who focuses on personal glory above team unity — division, conflict and even terror can result.
Chief Edward Gallagher was the leader of Alpha platoon, SEAL Team 7, while they were deployed in Iraq. SEALs are the elite special operations force of the United States Navy. They are trained to work together as tight knit groups who honor the ethos “The Deed is All, Not the Glory.” However, the classically close-lipped SEALs felt compelled to break their silence around Gallagher’s crimes committed on the battlefield. In 2019, The New York Times published their statements as reported to Navy investigators:
“The guy is freaking evil,” Special Operator Miller told investigators. “The guy was toxic,” Special Operator First Class Joshua Vriens, a sniper, said in a separate interview. “You could tell he was perfectly O.K. with killing anybody that was moving,” Special Operator First Class Corey Scott, a medic in the platoon, told the investigators.”
SEALs operate under an unwritten code of silence. But they came forward to accuse Gallagher of shooting civilians and fatally stabbing a wounded captive with a hunting knife. “I think he just wants to kill anybody he can,” said Special Operator Scott during an interview with Navy investigators. Some members of the platoon said that Gallagher was purposefully exposing the SEALs to enemy fire to cause casualties amongst the platoon. “They said the chief thought that casualties in the platoon would increase his chances for a Silver Star,” reported the Times. The Silver Star is the third highest military combat decoration. Gallagher was not trying to strengthen group cohesion, rather he was breaking rules, committing crimes and sacrificing his fellow team members for personal gain. After Gallagher was arrested, the platoon was split up into different assignments.
Gallagher not only lacked inclusive intelligence, he also displayed certain personality traits that made him a dangerous leader, especially in a role where he had the power to decide who lives and who dies. His platoon teammates said he was manipulative and they were terrified to come forward to report Gallagher’s war crimes. Gallagher denied his platoon’s accusations and said the SEALs were upset because they couldn’t meet his high standards. Based upon reports from his team members, Gallagher displayed the behavior and mindset of the classic Dark Personality traits. This triad of personality traits have been well-documented and include narcissism, Machiavellianism, and psychopathy.
We know that personality is equally important to talent for team success, or in this case, failure. The extent to which we can embody inclusive intelligence is linked to our personalities. Our ability to self monitor and regulate our emotions shapes how we show up in the world and how we impact others. The sports and business worlds are just beginning to measure how our presence impacts others and overall team performance. Yet we already know the importance. Although it might be contrary to what you were taught, helping your teammates shine will also help you succeed.
