Classic Teams: The Montreal Canadiens

Every team has ups and downs, though everyone shares a common goal, several factors influence results. The Montreal Canadiens have been faced with a difficult season this year. They currently sit in last place of the eastern conference despite sustained efforts and dramatic changes, such as replacing the head coach.

Many argue that the problem is rooted deep within the organization and touches all levels, from the ice to the offices upstairs. Without an aligned vision and solid teamwork on all levels, it is difficult to achieve excellence. 

When evaluating teams, courage, growth, commitment and discipline are 4 key indicators of success.

After a difficult season, one would argue that there is nowhere to go but up. While I agree with this, the entire organization should look to the future with a focus on courage, growth commitment and discipline.


- Michael

Classic Teams: The A-Team

Teams come in all forms and situations, one thing that is true of all teams is that each member fills a specific role, though it may or may not be clearly defined at first glance.

Take the A-Team for instance, each member serves a specific purpose and applies his strengths, skills and knowhow to achieve their common goal. Granted there are often disagreements within the team, (and hilarity ensues) when everyone works together the results are always satisfactory.

Let's have a look at each of the members of the A-Team and what role each one holds.

John "Hannibal" Smith:
Hannibal is the leader of the team, specialized in disguises and planning. He is results oriented, as his catch phrase "I love it when a plan comes together." would suggest. He relishes a challenge and no obstacle is too great to slow him down.

Templeton "Faceman" Peck
Face is an expert at gathering relevant information and providing it to the team. Though his methods are often questionable, his results speak for themselves. Face tends to avoid conflict more than his team mates and is non-confrontational by nature. Face is able to find unusual solutions to problems that arise.

B.A. Baracus
Baracus is highly skilled in combat and and mechanics, he is aware of this and clearly chooses to face all situations head on. Baracus has a problem with authority from an organizational standpoint, he does however respect authority when he believes it is warranted, as evidenced by his behavior around his mother.

H.M. Murdock
Murdock is a pilot capable of flying almost any vehicle. He is reliable and apt though he may be difficult to work with, as he is known to be mentally unstable or is extremely apt at feigning this condition. He often has conflicts with Baracus, but when the situation calls for it, he is present for his team no matter what.

The above descriptions only scratch the surface of these characters as even for fictional teams, relationships and behaviors can be difficult to identify. The DYNAMIX® Personal Profile allows users to improve self-awareness, which in turn improves interactions. 

Which character do you identify with the most? Let us know in the comments.

- Michael

The Three Musketeers

When I was a child, my two best friends and I were always referred to as “The Three Musketeers”. Our parents, teachers and just about anyone who knew us would call us that. I never really understood what they meant by that label until recently, besides the fact that it meant we were inseparable. We acted as if we were a team. If one of us did something wrong, we all took the fall together. If one of us needed help with something, we were all there for each other. We trusted, listened and respected one another’s opinion. We knew who was more persuasive, who was more innovative, who would handle the situation best and so on.

The classic story of “The Three Musketeers” is originally written by Alexendre Dumas in 1844. The trio lived by the motto: “All for one and one for all”. These three French men really understood the true meaning of teamwork. They understood that individually they had their own strengths and weaknesses but by banding together they would be much more effective. They knew each other well and delegated appropriate roles accordingly.

Teamwork affects all aspects of relationships whether it is a childhood friendship, a group project for a course or coworkers at your job. Every individual plays an important role within a group. By gaining trust, understanding different behavioral characteristics and work ethics can be very beneficial for becoming more effective. Just like my childhood trio experience or the authentic Three Musketeers, we learnt how to work together to be the best we could be.

Do you have any teamwork stories that can relate? Comment and share!

Check out how the Dynamix Personal Profile can help you assess the individuals on your team.

- Teddy