By Shay Hughes

Much like in sports, when it comes to growing a business, there’s no denying the ultimate goal is to win, whether that means winning a championship ring or achieving a high ROI for your investors. While winning on any front demands unmatched grit, discipline and drive from every individual on the team, it also requires a high level of nurturance and connectivity to bring out the best of any championship team.

Anyone who is familiar with Hughes Marino knows how dedicated, hard-working and devoted our team is. With one of our core values being, “delivering excellence in everything we do,” we take pride in our high-performing, high-caliber team. But with high expectations, we know we need to find a balance to ensure our team feels fulfilled and valued in the workplace, something we consider on a daily basis.

Always looking for opportunities to invest in our team’s personal development, we sought out business coach Mike Robbins to mentor our team early on in our growth. As a former pro-baseball player turned best-selling author, Mike Robbins has coached some of the largest companies in the world, including Google, Microsoft and Coca-Cola, as well as many of the nation’s top professional sports teams. Mike often draws on his firsthand experiences from the sports world to convey the critical aspect behind team dynamics and culture, which can benefit and fuel the morale at any company.

High Expectations, High Nurturance

When Mike first introduced the concept of “high expectations, high nurturance” to our own team, we loved it so much we made it one of our HM-isms. Mike shared that all companies with a strong culture are dedicated to excellence, which in turn means that they demand a lot from their team members. Why is this a good thing? Settling for mediocrity will not help individuals to grow, nor will it help companies to thrive. Creating an environment where high expectations are the norm, while also supplying the high nurturance needed to meet those expectations, is vital in creating a strong company culture and a thriving team.

Winning the World Series in 2010, 2012 and 2014 was no accident for the San Francisco Giants, which Mike highlights as an ultimate example of a high expectations, high nurturance success story. It was the direct result of the intentional effort in mastering the perfect balance of expecting top performance while also providing a supportive atmosphere for teammates to be themselves, make mistakes and grow together. Their team wasn’t made up of individual superstars, like one would expect. But together, their tight-knit team bonded together through a culture of trust, connection and support to win the most coveted title in baseball three times within a span of five years.

Nurturance Builds a Drive to Succeed

While one might not always equate “nurturance” to a business setting, it is a critical piece of the puzzle in building a team’s chemistry, confidence and drive to succeed. Plus, it makes coming into the office a whole lot more fun and fulfilling when you have a team that truly likes and cares about one another. There will always be times in any rewarding career path when we come across an obstacle or even failure, but overcoming those challenges, surrounded by people who genuinely care about each other and have fun together makes all the difference.

During one of our team meetings, Mike shared a perfect example of success through nurturance when he described what he witnessed by the Houston Astros’ team and their manager A.J. Hinch in the 2017 World Series. In Game 5, outfielder George Springer missed a catch, allowing the Dodgers to take the lead. Despite the critical mistake, Hinch and the team rallied around Springer instead of tearing him down. One inning later, he redeemed himself by hitting a home run to tie the game. Despite making an error that could potentially cost the Astros a game, the team provided support and encouragement, which blossomed into a redeeming moment to eventually help to win the World Series title.

On multiple occasions, I’ve personally seen our team rally around teammates who are enduring a difficult time in their lives, and I can guarantee you those same teammates have also rallied for others, too. A culture of nurturance leads to tight-knit teamwork and meaningful bonds that balance out the highs and lows of whatever comes our way.

Continuous Coaching

People who lack proper management and coaching will most often flounder, which is terrible for productivity and efficiency, and a major reason why great coaching is a driving element of success. One example of great coaching that Mike shares is what he witnessed when working with a specific team at Google that was tasked with a high-stakes project under a tight deadline. The team leader made a point to always prioritize creating a nurturing environment, despite the great pressure of working at the innovative tech giant. The leader built connection through organizing regular team lunches and intentionally fostered a culture of open communication with continuous check-in meetings where team members would feel safe in voicing concerns and admitting mistakes, while also celebrating small wins. This emphasis on nurturance intensified the team’s drive to succeed, as they all felt extremely supported, valued and fulfilled by their team leader, which ultimately led to a project that was delivered ahead of schedule and exceeded all expectations.

We’ve made it a point in our company to have regular coaching sessions to share valuable insights with the entire team. From all-team meetings where we share stories about having a growth mindset and overcoming challenges, to our advisory team’s “bootcamp” sessions, where attendees are infused with decades of experience from the most successful advisors in the nation during their first few years of the business, at our core we believe strongly in reinvesting in the personal development of every individual on our team.

In addition to internal coaching, we are always looking for inspiration from outside sources. From business coaches like Mike, to inspiring articles and speeches, to movies and books, we make a point to share and discuss coaching concepts with our team on a very regular basis. Our constant focus on the growth of our team creates a winning mindset that unites us in providing exceptional, best-in-class service to our clients.

Ultimately, just as championship sports teams thrive on grit and unity, companies can secure lasting victories by fostering a driven, connected team that delivers exceptional results, ensuring long-term success.