The A-Team
A Model For Analytic Effectiveness and Team Building
“In 1972, a crack commando unit was sent to prison by a military court for a crime they didn’t commit. These men promptly escaped from a maximum security stockade to the Los Angeles underground. Today, still wanted by the government they survive as soldiers of fortune. If you have a problem, if no one else can help, and if you can find them….maybe you can hire The A-Team.”
The A-Team was a popular comedy action series of the 1980’s. The show was quite light-hearted and hardly realistic, which allowed it to air in the earlier prime time (family) hours. It was often formulaic and in later seasons ‘jumped the shark’ with celebrity cameos and other general nonsense. The 2010 movie adaptation, while a bit grittier, stayed true to those original themes from the early seasons. If you liked the series, the movie is solid.
Anatomy Of A Team
One of the cornerstones of the series had to be the ‘team’. Here, the writers hit gold. Their four man team was perfectly designed. Effective. Efficient. Comprehensive. It is an excellent model for the talent and skills needed to build a great Analytic Team. So, let’s break down the roles.
John “Hannibal” Smith
The leader of the team. The planner. The strategy guy. He was played by George Peppard in the series and Liam Neeson in the movie.
Hannibal fills three different roles that no team can afford to be without. Not every team will find these assets in a single team member. Often the planning is done by someone other than the leader, less so the strategy. But since they only had four members to work from, Hannibal was the perfect fit.
His formulaic catch-phrase was a hallmark of the series. It was often spoken just after the climatic final action event. It spoke to the team’s success, but it also emphasized an extreme level of freedom. Hannibal provided a strategy and a loose plan of delegated responsibility. Once that ‘plan’ was enacted, chaos ensued but, in the end — it always worked out.
For an Analytic Team built from thoughtful and skilled professionals, this sort of loose planning is a requirement. The leader, strategist, and planner (assuming they aren’t always the same person) need to be comfortable with this high level of freedom and volatility.
Bosco “B. A.” Baracus
The team mechanic. The muscle. The builder. The cynic. B.A. was played by the iconic Mr. T in the series and by Quinton “Rampage” Jackson in the film.
B.A. (for Bad Attitude) was the driver and driving force of the A-Team. He was the one who built their escape vehicles, ad-hoc weapons, and other crazy devices that made Hannibal’s plans come together. B.A. also symbolized key attributes that any team should have. He was an outspoken critic and yet a team player. He was also part enforcer and part auditor. B.A. brought discipline to this wild group.
For our Analytic Team analogy, B.A. is the technologist. He was the one maintaining, upgrading, improving, and empowering the equipment and technology the team needed for it’s success. He kept the team grounded — literally. Well not quite… he never seemed to expect the drugged milk, hypodermic needle, or other over-the-top knock-out method used to get him on the plane. I pity the fool.
Templeton “Faceman” Peck
Every team needs a “faceman”. The salesman. The negotiator. The guy (or gal) who puts your best face forward. Faceman was played by Dirk Benedict in the series and Bradley Cooper in the movie.
“Face” was the charismatic smooth talker of the organization. He spends a lot of time relieving the anxiety of clients and onlookers. Part salesman, part actor, and part con-man — Face is who the team turns to when they need outside assistance or just a subtler touch.
Analytic Teams need a Face. Someone who speaks to clients, management, and nagging authority to explain things in a charismatic and connected way. Like the A-team, analytic teams struggle with their own unusual nature. Their skills and mindset is not exactly commonplace or commonly understood. A good Faceman will help explain your efforts to others and (like the character) will often advocate on the part of clients as well.
H.M. “Howling Mad” Murdock
The idea man. The visionary. The innovator. The high flyer. Murdock was played by Dwight Schultz in the TV series and Sharlto Copley in the movie.
Murdoch is a mad man, but every team needs one! Someone willing to push the boundaries is critical to team growth. The A-team had Murdoch. The team pilot was known for ludicrous ideas. His Jibba Jabba, while infuriating B.A., often led to some of the team’s more innovative and effective plans.
Your Analytic Team needs a mad man or two. Hopefully not one like Murdoch, who has to be broken out of a mental hospital every week, but one who inspires creative solutions. Murdoch took the team to new heights, literally and figuratively. If your Murdoch also likes to sing and talk to sock puppets, just chalk it up to higher team morale.
Inspiring and Effective
Let the A-team serve as a model for your own Analytic Team. Have you cover the bases? Do have great leadership, strategy, and planning? Do you have a builder, a creator, and maintainer? Does your team have members that bridge the gap with your clients? Provide explanation and charisma? Think outside the box and provide ideas and innovation? If you do, or if you can find them… maybe your team can be an A-Team, too?
