Dreaming of an all-star team ?

The football/soccer world cup is just finished, the champions have been crowned and life is back to normal. Each of the participating teams have an excuse of why they did not become world champions, either one or a combination of the pitch, the weather, the referee, the ball or the opponents. If there is anything the pundits agree about, it is that the best team won. The best team. Not the team with the best players. It is clear the Germans played like a team, not just a star player with 10 others who circle around him.

And yet despite this consensus about the best team winning, the same armchair pundits immediately announce to the world their “dream team”, with the star players picked from several countries in each position. Messi, Neymar, Ronaldo, and 8 more big names. The dream team even has a “dream coach” ! Can you just for one minute imagine that this “dream team” actually plays a game together ? I think it would be rather fun, or maybe sad, to watch !

Something similar often happens in organizations. Managers often see the limits of their current employees, and imagine that "out there", there are star players that would turn around the whole organization's performance in a heart beat. If only I could get hold of these dream players who will set off sparks and turn dust into gold ! If only I could find the perfect purchasing/production/marketing/sales manager, then all would be great ! 

Well, working with a team in an organization might not be the same as a football team, when it comes to star players, the challenges are very similar. I have seen teams where nobody really stood out, but where everybody effectively worked together and moved forward. I have also seen "star players" joining a team, and the situation becoming much more complicated and tense than before.

Before hiring that superman/woman, think about what you have in your team, and what unexplored or non-optimized potential remains. I am quite sure that exploring - for real - the potential in your existing team will be a better approach to move your organization to the next level, than dreaming of the hero that will single-handedly deliver miracles.