At just 15 years old, Mia Hamm became the youngest player on the U.S. Women’s National Soccer Team. When Hamm first stepped onto the field in a professional setting, she says it was petrifying, especially being on the team so young.
In a fireside chat with BenefitsPRO Editor-In-Chief Paul Wilson during the publication’s recent Broker Expo, Hamm explains, “I was a good athlete and had a skillset that suited the game—quick, fast, agile—but I didn’t understand the game.”
The commitment it took to not only make the team but to stay on the team and make an impact on the field was a large adjustment for her. Hamm had to decide whether or not she wanted to make that commitment. She had the raw talent, but having to turn that into real greatness was a different story.
“What leads to greatness is being willing to realize you don’t know everything and continue to work on things throughout your entire career,” Hamm says.
See also: 3 transformational benefits of employee empowerment
Good vs. great
Many benefits advisors are in leadership roles and are very successful at what they do. This industry is constantly changing, and these benefits advisors are trying to guide organizations and teams through change and complexity.
But what separates a good team from a truly great team?
“Preparation, consistent commitment to excellence, the standards in which you set and understanding that these are non-negotiable,” Hamm says. “The other thing is, does your company leadership empower those around them? And do you do the same around each other?”
She continues, “I think a lot of times we get so caught up in keeping our jobs rather than doing our jobs. I think really good leadership empowers those to do their jobs.”
Balancing team needs and your own needs
Hamm shares that, initially, her goal was to be invited to more soccer training camps. As her skills grew and she became a starter, the goal was to stay a starter. However, as she gained more responsibility and opportunities, the goal grew to impact a winning game.
Whether that meant scoring goals, setting her teammates up for success or working hard on the defensive side of the ball, Hamm wanted her teammates to know that ultimately her goal was to be consistent in her commitment to herself and to her team, but also the standard they set.
“If I’m the best player, both physically and mentally, that I can be, that helps the team. But the team always comes first,” she says. “It wasn’t about the pursuit of some scoring record.”
Hamm explains that everyone showed up for each other and understood the responsibility that they all had.
Chemistry and culture
Chemistry and culture are incredibly important to a team’s success. Hamm says chemistry is “something you do. It’s not something you are. You have to bring the energy every single day.”
It can be as simple as taking the time to get to know your teammate or really listening to what they have to say.
“Everything you do matters,” she says.
To close out the keynote, Hamm left with a simple, but powerful message: “A lot of times, we assume people know how we feel, what we think, because you are with them every single day. Taking the time to tell your team members ‘I appreciate you’ takes time and energy, but it makes the biggest difference.”
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