A few years ago, I read an interesting story about a CEO of a large hospital and rehabilitation network. As a CEO, he emphasized that the organization could be more successful if people would work together and “pull the wagon” rather than working at cross purposes. He wanted to discourage the aimless independent work and fruitless efforts that seemed to be impeding their progress.

Whether through college courses, the workplace, sports, or personal endeavors, I have been a member of many teams. Some teams have been effective while others have not. I noticed there is a common thread in many of them. MEDIOCRITY. I can’t say that I am completely innocent of this, still, I am shocked at how often it occurs. Why is mediocrity in the driver sear of so many ineffective teams?

It seems to me that the mentality that often arises in teams is, “Great! I don’t have to work as much or as hard because the work load will be distributed.” Sadly, these individuals become distracted, too busy, or confused, so they coast through relying on the others to pull the slack.