England lost the Rugby World Cup final, but the team’s transformation during the tournament was utterly inspiring. Simon Wicks finds out how tried and tested management principles can help you turn a motley group of underachievers into a team capable of taking on the world.

“People often think that the first principle of teamwork is people, but I think that’s wrong,” insists Professor Michael West, Executive Dean of Aston Business School. “The first principle is to ask what the task is. Once you know that, you can select the people to achieve that task – people with definite skills who are committed to teamwork.”

In the world of international sport, you can pick the people you want in your team with some freedom. Recruitment in business is not so straightforward, but even if you don’t have your “perfect” team members, you can still mould them into a successful unit.

Vision and clarity

As team leader, your outlook is critical. “You have to inspire the team with a vision that stretches their ideas of what they are capable of achieving, so they are motivated and excited about what they are engaged in,” emphasises West.

“Then you then need to make sure there are very clear objectives,” he continues. “Give them four or five team level objectives, no more than that, and let the team know absolutely what its function is, what the task is and when it needs to be achieved by.”

Only then do you concentrate on individuals, by setting personal objectives and giving people clear roles within the group. Revisiting job descriptions could help you lay the foundations for good team co-ordination under pressure.

Coming through adversity

“You need to take time out, to review what you want to do,” advises West. “In rugby, they go over their objectives at the beginning, take time out at half time and make adjustments, then review the match again afterwards.

“Teams that take time out deal more effectively with crises because they have a clear understanding of what part each has to play in the team.”

It was a crisis that bonded the England players. “There was a moment when the Samoans were only 26-22 down, camped on our line, and with their tails up,” the England forwards coach John Wells recalled later. “It was a defining moment for us. We drew massive confidence from coming through that crisis the way we did.”

Taking responsibility

“The team leader must take responsibility for what individuals are required to do and in a crisis they must be decisive,” urges West. “They have to make sure the situation is managed effectively and that people’s professionalism comes into play.

For the England team, this manifested itself in key figures taking responsibility when it mattered. Captain Phil Vickery motivated the team ahead of the victorious semi-final against France; fly half Jonny Wilkinson kicked the points that won the game, demonstrating consummate professionalism under pressure.

“It’s not always the leader who takes control – it may be someone with skills that are dominant in that situation,” West notes. “As a leader, you have to recognise this and step back, not compete.”

Keep talking

Whether things are going right or wrong, you need to talk about them, and successful sports teams are notable for the encouragement they give each other in the heat of competition. “Positive feedback is a massively powerful weapon. It creates a high level of positive emotion that releases creativity and co-operation,” concludes West. “And that’s what you create a team for.”

Aston Business School aims to provide inspiring and innovative learning for business leaders and team members. For information, visit Aston Business School's web site.