The Riley Test: How tests help create culture and develop skills for any team

We all remember our school days with regular tests in spelling, math, sciences, history, writing, etc. These tests were a way for our teachers to assess and challenge us to improve our knowledge, problem solving and creativity in various ways. We talk about goals a lot in business as a standard and an objective for any team to work towards achievement. Goals come in many shapes and sizes, from mission statements as an organization’s goal for the purpose and culture, to BHAGs (big, hairy, audacious goals) for performance. Achieving these types of goals are impossible, however, if the team does not understand and achieve very simple, yet very critical, tests for building fundamental skills required for the bigger goals. Much like the tests from our school days, we must consider how tests can be used to create organizational culture and develop critical skills for success. Requiring that these tests be passed sets a standard for the organizational culture, in addition to building important skills.

I recently read an article about Pat Riley’s conditioning test that all players on his teams were required to pass. This conditioning test - the “Riley Test” - required players to complete a series of 17 sideline-to-sideline sprints within a set amount of time with two-minute breaks between each set. It approximated a player being able to run a 5-minute mile (or 5:30 mile for the big guys). Pat Riley understood that conditioning was a critical building block for the team culture and performance that he expected, and without everyone on the team passing this test, there was little chance of the team achieving its performance goals, especially not an NBA Championship. He also understood that passing this test was as much about “grit and toughness” as a team culture, as it was a conditioning standard. How often do we talk about performance goals for wins, or unit sales, or sales revenue, or profit, or employee retention, without setting the “conditioning goals” and establishing tests to make sure our team is even capable of achieving the performance goal? What Riley Tests do you have in your organization? What tests can you develop to help build the fundamental skills and culture that lead to the big goals? Feel free to share any of your tests with scott@teamacuity.org.

For more details about the Riley Test, please see: https://apple.news/A0vkxX5EbTEybEoJOHyqxQA