Bench Strength – Creating Success Now and for the Future

Bench Strength – Creating Success Now and for the Future

In sports, we have all seen great teams win the championship, create the dynasty, and set all-time records. However, we have also seen top teams fall short due to injuries, a poor run of form, or succumbing to the overwhelming schedule that comes with winning.  In moments like this, the difference maker often becomes “bench strength.” Bench strength is defined in the dictionary as: 

1. [Sports] the quality and number of players available to substitute during a game. 

1. [Business] the competence and number of employees ready to fill vacant leadership and other positions. 

The bench is a place of great value, both to the individual and to the team in a number of ways. In sports, it would be inconceivable to enter the game without one but the reality is that in business sometimes we don’t even have one, and if that is the case I strongly encourage you to consider getting one. A good mental exercise to assess your bench strength is to consider your most important positions and who could potentially fill that role, or who would be a good fit if they had the necessary training and development.   

Benefits of the Bench

The Bench is an Incubator for Potential

The bench is a great place to observe the culture of your team.  It is a place to see the engagement level, team spirit, and support traits of your personnel. When someone is waiting for their call up to the next level it can be easier to observe character.  When a candidate has the right culture they are fit for the next level of responsibility. Today’s bench is tomorrow’s starters.  Finding potential that can be developed will lead to a successful legacy. 

The Bench provides Game Experience

Being a part of the team but joining from the bench allows game-time experience in a controlled and measured way. I have been raising up leaders in my company that I saw potential in.  A vital part of their development is to have real-world experience. They need to bear an appropriate amount of responsibility and learn what it takes to accomplish the task given to them.  Through doing it for themselves they learn the nuances and challenges that a book or training seminar can’t provide. Once done, I can tag back in and continue my work. This provides a valuable way to give responsibility and feedback. 

Bench Strength is Key for Scalability

It is important to Identify capable people who can help when the strain of Growth becomes too much.  This is something that Moses experienced in Exodus 18.  He was encouraged by his father-in-law to empower and deputize capable people so that he could get more done. Listen to this piece of advice: 

21 "But select capable men from all the people—men who fear God, trustworthy men who hate dishonest gain—and appoint them as officials over thousands, hundreds, fifties and tens…. That will make your load lighter, because they will share it with you." ...23 "If you do this and God so commands, you will be able to stand the strain, and all these people will go home satisfied.”

Exodus 18:21,23 NIV

In my company, we have typically built from within where we can.  This means that part of my job has been to identify capable people who could step up into higher roles. When I observe good character and ability at the bench stage, I have been able to coach and mentor them into the starting lineup.  This has been a key to our growth strategy. 

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