Sometimes I have to step away from my social media sports analogies – so my Vickery Girls will read my posts :) . They do not care about who is playing for the Denver Broncos or Denver Nuggets and how that may relate to social media engagement. Tennis court surface analogies are lost on them, and I think they are tired about me taking about Zone Training.
But talk about Coffee Time…Texas Tall Tales…or one of our favorite TV shows, and they are moths to a flame (rather pretty moths, I might add). In an effort to bring value to my other readers, let’s talk about the Leadership/teammate qualities on display in Bones.
- Dr. Temperance ‘Bones’ Brennan – The TV show does not exist without Temperance Brennan, and some of our teams and companies would not exist without her equivalent. She is by far the most intelligent person in the room, she is uncompromising and relentless when it comes to pursuit of the facts while refusing sloppy guesswork, and she is usually unencumbered by any emotional attachment that might cloud her judgment. However, these same strengths are frequently her blind spots. A leader or “team of one” could not survive solely with these traits. Company Roles: CEO, CMO, Chief Strategy Officer, or software/data architect.
- Special Agent Seeley Booth – Booth is the battle-scarred, alpha-male who relies heavily on intuition and past experiences. He and Brennan start out as polar opposites because of their different problem-solving approaches. Brennan distrusts intuition and guesswork, and Booth distrusts “squints” (highly intelligent academics) who lack street-smarts. Together, they make the ideal tandem that plays to its strengths, and they learn to defer to their partner when appropriate. Company Roles: CEO, Human resources, business analyst, marketing, public relations.
- Angela Montenegro – Angela can be impulsive, and she sees the world through the lens of her heart. While other cast characters view the evidence with clinical detachment, or a black-and-white understanding of right and wrong, Angela sees the gray areas where passionate emotions could drive the perpetrator. Angela is the primary character that “humanizes” the team. Company Roles: Project manager, business analyst, human resources, marketing.
- Dr. Jack Hodgins – Sometimes you need “that guy” – the guy who will roll up his sleeves and get knee-deep in bugs and slime to help the team meet its goals and objectives. He is an encyclopedia of both technical knowledge and historical context. Here is one of his best non-funny quotes in the series: I can’t just guess! I have a process! Every team should be so lucky as to have a couple of these types of team members. Company Roles: CFO, CIO, software/data architect, lead developer.
- Dr. Camille Saroyan – Camille brought her own forensic skills to the lab, but what makes her invaluable to the team is her willingness to be the administrator. A gifted team can still be wasted if not efficiently guided and managed. Someone also needs to make sure the bills get paid and the lights stay on! And someone needs to be the public face of accountability that shelters the team from distractions. Company Roles: COO, CIO, CFO, public relations, mid-level management, project manager, team lead.
- Dr. Lance Sweets – Sweets adds the doctorates and case study background to Booth’s natural intuition and Angela’s understanding of how passions drive people. He understands that psychology plays an important role in both crimes and team dynamics. Company Roles: Marketing, human resources, public relations, project managers and mid-level management.
As you read this post, did you visualize your own organization? Did you see where everyone has a role in successful team execution? Did you see any gaps in your organization where introducing a role may help its efficiency?
Thanks to Netflix for introducing my family to Bones – a show we enjoy watching as a family!
