When it comes to team sports, the spotlight inevitably falls on the superstars. Take, for example, the Golden State Warriors. Recently crowned NBA Champions, the Warriors are one of the most decorated, highly respected teams in the country. With power players including Kevin Durant and Stephen Curry on the roster, sports pundits and fans have a lot of star talent to write and talk about.
But what the headlines don’t say is this: no matter how good they are, players don’t win championships—teams do. The same is true of construction companies; no matter how talented their top producers are, the companies will not be successful without a full roster of role players to support those stars.
Mind the Salary Caps
Much like a construction company, basketball teams operate on a budget. They have a fixed salary cap, beyond which they may not compensate their players. A large portion of their salary budget goes toward retaining key players such as Durant and Curry. The reality is that on a budget, a business cannot staff an entire team (or company) with A-players. The cost of filling roles with top earners is simply too high to justify paying for more than a small number of critical superstars who meet the organization’s most pressing needs. Fortunately, it’s not just that it’s fiscally impossible to support a full staff of superstars—it’s inadvisable as well.
Consider the Chemistry
Star employees have a specific set of highly valued attributes and skills that contribute to the overall success of the organization. However, those skills and attributes will not be the right fit for every team or organization. Consider if Steph Curry were placed on a team with a coach whose leadership style was in stark contrast to Curry’s ideal style and with teammates who could not contribute meaningfully to each game. Would Curry have the motivation, support and focus to play at his best? It’s doubtful. Contractors must ensure all players serve to support and motivate each other. Often, that means finding employees to fill support roles who can allow the superstars to focus on adding value and encourage him to trust the team to set him up for success.
Diversify the Skills
There’s a difference between superstars and super humans—even superstars can’t do everything well. According to ESPN, Kevin Durant, Steph Curry, and Klay Thompson contributed an average of 25.1, 25.3 and 22.3 points per game during the 2016-2017 season—far outstripping the output of the rest of their teammates. However, it is simply a fact that the Warriors would not have won the NBA Championship without Andre Iguodala’s tendency to step up at key moments and inject his team with energy, or JaVale McGee’s size advantage that helps him block shots and play strong defense or David West’s experience and toughness.
Construction companies need a team with a similar level of talent diversity to succeed in today’s competitive market. A powerhouse project manager won’t do much good if the estimators can’t win bids, the finance team can’t reliably pay subcontractors and the schedulers can’t keep projects on track.
Factor in the Intangibles
Iguodala’s energy and West’s toughness are not going to show up on the Warriors stat sheets for the season. However, those are probably the first things their teammates would point to when asked how they contribute to the team. These intangibles help to elevate all of their teammates, including the superstars. Iguodala’s ability to rise to the occasion may provide a tired Durant with the assist he needs to nail the winning shot and West’s experience level may provide valuable insight and inspiration to the bench players who stepped up and outscored Cleveland’s bench 35-7.
On a construction team, it may not be possible to quantify an eager new hire’s ability to provide much-needed energy and a fresh perspective to the company or the wisdom and mentorship potential of an employee near retirement. However, it is precisely those qualities that can make all the difference to a company’s productivity, engagement and bottom line.
It is undeniable that to succeed in business (as in basketball), construction contractors must have A-players in critical roles on the team. However, do not overlook the necessity of filling out the roster with diverse, supportive and equally valuable role players to help reach the full potential of the star performers and the company.
