'I Looked at it Differently: It Did Work Out'
Relationships, conflict, heated emotions and success in spite of it
Our perceptions, especially if from afar, might be narrow minded as far as how people are or are not getting along and how well or not their relationship is going. We may not really understand the reality.
Decades ago, the Shaquille O’Neal and Kobe Bryant professional basketball work partnership was strained. It stressed the organization. Eventually there was a breakup.
The common narrative has been what if two historically great performers could have resolved their animosity and continued to be great together. As it was, their egos led to a failed relationship. Yet, was that a correct depiction of what transpired?
Virgil Villanueva recently wrote an article that paints the perception in a different light.
John Black, the Los Angeles Lakers vice president of public relations, reframed it in a way that he felt was more reflective of history.
"I've said this a million times to media guys: When it ended, it was portrayed as extremely disappointing and how could we let it happen that Shaq and Kobe couldn't work things out," he said via Bleacher Report.
"I looked at it differently. It did work out,” Black asserted. “They spent eight years together and they didn't like each other and it was difficult, and that thing could've ended in two years or three years. It could've gone sour earlier.
“But despite the discomfort of it, the disharmony and dislike, they stayed together for eight years, won three championships together.”
Of course, that level of discomfort, anger and maybe, contempt should not be the norm yet organizations don’t always rid themselves of one or both star performers. They expect people to figure it out and work together at a high level, misery or not.
That’s what the Lakers did.
As Black astutely pointed out, O’Neal, Bryant and the franchise could have determined that they had irreconcilable differences and everyone was at a tipping point and point of no return. They didn’t though.
Through the emotional, psychological, relational conflict hardship, the “team” reached the pinnacle of the profession three times in the early 2000s.
That’s a successful organization. Maybe not on all levels, yet it’s achievement, despite how people felt or may have felt about one another and how the superiors didn’t like disputes taking place.
“I think it was pretty phenomenal that it did work out as long as it did,” Black said.
We learn not all relationships, professional or personal, are built to last forever.
What happens between the beginning and the end could be, in some instances and maybe after deeper reflection, judged as a net positive or possibly even, great.
People have to learn, as individuals and a team, regardless of the industry and workplace, how to find common ground that exceeds the negative energy and channel that intensity for productivity and good.
Sound leadership and unselfish people around the combatants may also significantly help overcome the costs of the personal grievances on the organizational mission.
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