What does how we pick teams in our bracket have to say about how we pick teams at work? Take a look at this micro-case study related to March Madness and the madness of poor performing teams, the number one challenge as identified by business leaders.
1. Picking Teams 101:
Stop the March into Madness
P. Quake Pletcher
24 March 2013
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2. The Challenge:
Picking Teams
The first choice many
leaders make is choosing the
team.
But the favorite choice by
many is picking teams in the
NCAA’s March Madness.
What can our pastime tell us about our
professional activity?
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3. Team Selection
Picking Tourney Teams Picking Work Teams
Who? Office Pool Diverse, Dispersed Workforce
What? Pick Game Winning Pick Teams that Win
Teams
How? Under Pressure / Time Crunch
When? March Hourly, Daily, Weekly,
Why? Glory/ The Pot Share or Stakeholder Value
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4. Picking Teams:
A Comparative Case Study
Daughter (7 years old)
Business Method Madness Percent Used
Familiar, Sentimental Where grandma lives (Arizona), home 49%
Favorites of Disney World (Florida)
No seedings available in Little Miss Chalk, by the higher seeding 23%
work world. (Numerous)
Old Diversity of Jenny’s, The buzz of the name (WSU Shockers) 17%
Tyrone’s, Lin’s and
Michael’s
Other Guesswork 11%
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5. Picking Teams:
A Comparative Case Study
Daddy (Gen Xer)
Business Method Madness Percent Used
Look at the Resume Recall history/tradition… (Kansas, 52%
Louisville)
Association with the Affinity for the Group (Every Big Ten 27%
Favored Group or Indiana based team)
Love, Bromance, office Alma mater, Hometown love 8%
crush (Hoosiers, Butler)
Other Expert Judgment 13%
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6. Overall Performance
Daughter Daddy
Round of 64 18 of 32 21 of 32
Round of 32 10 of 16 6 of 16
First Weekend Results 58% 56%
First Weekend Results 63%
Sample Group Mean
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7. Success By Method
Daughter Daddy
Favorites 74% Resume 60%
Seedings 64% Association 27%
Names 38% Love 75%
Guess 20% Expert Judgment 33%
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8. How do you pick teams?
Love
Guess Favorites
Association Seedings
Virtual teams fail to meet
expectations up to 70% of the time!
Judgment Resume
Name
diversity
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9. What Works: Smart Systems
Picking Tourney Teams
• NCAA Seeding system correct 71% of the time
• Nate Silverman’s data-based approach significantly
more successful than average Joe’s
Picking Work Teams
• Collaborative Workforce seeding systems non-
existent
• PeeqMe brings a smart system to picking teams
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10. Join PeeqMe at peeqMe's beta sign-
PeeqMe’s up page
Smart App
Successful, Diverse Teams
• Promote Innovation, Avoid
Storms
‘Read the Room’ with Group
views of assessed
strengths, style.
Social Recognition/Collaboration
• Better Team, No Silos
Teammates ‘catch each other
doing good,’ use talent smarter
Engage Gen Y
• Open, Connected, Me-focused
Mobile app, networked and
individualized
Signup at www.peeqme.me
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