Same Team, Different People: How Behavioral Differences Can Make a Team Stronger
Walk through any football facility during game week and you'll see different ways of getting the job done.
There's the head coach setting the tone in the team meeting. The position coach who seems to know what's going on in every player's life. The equipment manager who has followed the same pregame routine for years. The operations staffer with the travel itinerary planned down to the minute.
They're all working toward the same kickoff. They simply bring different behavioral tendencies to the team.
And understanding those differences matters.
This is the last in a short series where we've used football season to look at the game through the lens of human behavior.
Catch up on the series:
Your Best Scout Just Became Director of Scouting: What Changed Beside the Title?
The Player Didn’t Change. The Coaching Did
There's a common thread running through all of it: A football organization doesn't need everyone to think, communicate, decide, and respond in exactly the same way. Neither does any other organization.
Different people bring different tendencies
Most people show a combination of behavioral tendencies. Understanding someone means looking at the complete picture rather than placing them into a single category.
Still, there are differences we can recognize on almost any team.
Some people tend to take charge. They're comfortable stepping forward, making decisions, and setting direction.
Some naturally focus on relationships. They're energized by interaction and connecting with the people around them.
Some bring patience and consistency. They're steady, dependable, and can provide stability when things get hectic.
Others place greater emphasis on accuracy, structure, and detail. They're precise and thorough, often noticing things others may miss.
None of these tendencies is inherently better than another. What matters is understanding the individual, the situation, and what the role requires.
The role matters, too
A behavioral tendency that works well in one situation may create challenges in another.
Someone comfortable taking charge may thrive when quick decisions are needed but feel friction in an environment that relies heavily on consensus. Someone energized by relationships may excel in a highly interpersonal role but feel drained in one that calls for long stretches of solitary work. Someone who values consistency may provide real stability but find an environment of constantly shifting priorities more demanding. A person highly focused on accuracy may catch important details but experience tension when speed is consistently prioritized over precision.
That's why understanding behavior is only part of the picture. Understanding what the role asks of the person matters, too.
Where AVA fits in
AVA® (Activity Vector Analysis) provides insight into workplace behavior through four core vectors: Assertiveness, Sociability, Calmness, and Conformity.
AVA doesn't reduce someone to a single behavioral label. A Certified AVA Analyst considers the relevant information together to develop a more complete understanding of the individual and their behavioral tendencies.
A Job Demands Analysis (JDA) looks at the other side of the equation, helping define the behavioral demands of a position. Together, AVA and the JDA provide useful insight into both the individual and the role.
AVA can also be used at the team level, helping organizations better understand the behavioral tendencies represented across a group.
The goal isn't to determine which behavior is "best." It's to better understand why people may approach their work differently — and how those differences relate to the work they're being asked to do.
Same team. Different people.
Think about your own staff, department, or leadership team.
Who tends to take charge? Who builds connections? Who provides consistency? Who catches the details others may miss?
More importantly, how well do you understand the differences among them?
Building an effective team isn't about making everyone the same. It's about better understanding the people who make up the team.
Interested in learning how AVA can help you better understand workplace behavior?
