Make sure no one is sitting in the stands.

We’ve all sat in the stands or stood on the sidelines and watched others play the game. It’s comfortable playing armchair quarterback, criticizing how the game is being played and who’s screwing up. It’s a different story when you’re down on the field facing the competition, however. You have to personally experience what it’s like to have a 300-lb. linebacker charging at you, intent on crushing you to the ground, to fully appreciate how the quarterback feels when a player fails to complete a blocking assignment.

Why are some employees content to sit in the bleachers and complain about how things are being managed by others? Because they don’t feel a sense of team affinity, perhaps. Effective leaders find ways to get employees onto the playing field. Everyone needs to understand and appreciate what is involved in solving problems in the workplace. Problems are not as easy to solve as they seem to be when you look at them from a distance.

The more players in the game, the stronger the team. Imagine how much tougher even the weakest professional team would be if the rules of the game allowed everyone to be on the playing field at the same time. Fortunately, there is no limit to the number of active players who can help your organization and its teams work together to beat the competition. Whether you are a small business or a major corporation, don’t let anyone stand around the watercooler, criticizing how things are being managed. Do what you can to get them involved in helping things run smoothly.

Leadership Questions

  Think about some of the spectators sitting in the organization’s bleachers. How can you get them more actively involved in the game?

  What difference do you think it would make if these individuals got out of the bleachers and into the game?