When I was growing up, my first youth football team was called the "Steelers," so logically my favorite NFL football team at that age was the Pittsburgh Steelers. My timing was impeccable - the year that I played on the youth "Steelers" happened to coincide with the year that the Steelers beat the Minnesota Vikings in Super Bowl IX. I was hooked. I think I followed the Steelers as long as they were winning Super Bowls, though I eventually moved on to other teams. Even if I am no longer a fan, I would have to say that the Steelers are one of the greatest NFL franchises of all time - they have won the Super Bowl six times (Super Bowls IX, X, XIII, XIV, XL, and XLIII) and have played and lost in two others (Super Bowls XXX and XLV). No team (including the San Francisco 49ers, Dallas Cowboys, and New England Patriots) has won more Super Bowls than the Steelers. They have a great coach currently (Mike Tomlin) and a future Hall of Fame quarterback in Ben Roethlisberger. So, I have a lot of respect for what they have accomplished.
However, I really can't respect a team leader (who is also reportedly one of the team captains), Ben Roethlisberger, for the way he recently handled the performance of a couple of his teammates. Apparently, Roethlisberger wasn't happy with his team's Week 12 loss to the Denver Broncos. Fair enough. However, during his weekly Tuesday radio show on a local Pittsburgh radio station, he called out wide receiver Antonio Brown's route running on a play that resulted in an interception, rookie wide receiver James Washington's dropping of a pass on another play that should have resulted in a touchdown (or so he believed), and Offensive Coordinator Randy Fichtner's play calling. Really?
When asked about what he said, he reportedly replied, "I think I have earned the right to be able to do that with as long as I have been here, and I'll just be just as critical of myself [in the media] as well."
He went on, "Being around for a long time with a lot of different players. You have to know how to motivate different guys in different ways. I think that's part of being a leader, being a captain, just understanding players. Sometimes you just grab them off to the side, and sometimes you have to be honest with them."
Okay, Big Ben. I agree with you. Somewhat. You have certainly earned the right to be the team leader AND the team captain. And, as a leader, it is your responsibility to call individual players out if you don't think that they are giving their effort or playing to their capability or level of talent. But here is where I strongly disagree with you - nothing that you have ever done in your career has given you the right to call out individual teammates in public. You do that in private.
Vince Lombardi, arguably one of the greatest NFL coaches of all time (the Super Bowl trophy is named after him) once said, "Praise in public; criticize in private." Apparently he borrowed the quote from the ancient Roman writer Publilius Syrus who said, "Admonish your friends privately but praise them openly" in 35 BC. Coach Lombardi was exactly right. Calling out an individual in public almost invariably fails as a motivational strategy. Worse yet, it leads to bad feelings all around.
Now, there are probably some occasions when a leader should break this rule - for example, when the situation is placing someone, including the individual, at risk of harm, though these instances are fortunately not very common. There is another case in which it is okay (and advisable) to criticize in public - when the behavior is disrespectful or unprofessional. In these situations, while it is difficult, a leader should correct the behavior (or comment) in public. Sharon Bar-David offers the following mistakes to avoid in these situations:
1. Avoid using "I" statements (e.g., "I find your behavior offensive" or "I think you are being unprofessional"). She states, "The purpose of correcting offensive behavior is to create common standards and to enforce organizational values. Whether or not you personally were offended is irrevlevant."
2. Avoid the use of humor in this situation. While humor can be a great tool, in this kind of situation, it will send the wrong message.
3. Never dispute the accuracy of what has been said. Making a judgment on the accuracy of a statement (e.g, "No, not all people in this group act this way") only serves to deepen the discussion or leads to an argument about the accuracy of what has been said. If something was unprofessional or offensive, call it out plainly and simply and leave it at that.
Roger Schwarz posted an article in the Harvard Business Review blog entitled "How Criticizing in Private Undermines Your Team" in 2013. Read the article. I don't think it applies here. What is said in the privacy of a team meeting, among a group of individuals who operate with a high degree of interdependence, work towards a common goal, and mutually share accountability for the success and failure of the team, is perfectly acceptable, in most cases. Most teams are small enough and private enough that calling someone out is usually okay, though discretion is always advised. Using the case described above with Ben Roethlisberger, it would have been perfectly fine (I have absolutely no problem with it) to provide negative feedback or call out his teammates individually or in a team meeting. However, he said it on a public radio show, which is not okay. The public doesn't have the right to know...
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