Superb teams are built on similarity of spirit and diversity of strengths. Diversity of spirit is a recipe for disaster.
Bearing this in mind, what are the qualities you are looking for in people? Super teams employ people who want to be positive, professional and peak performers.
Imagine you lead your present team. Let’s explore how you can identify whether the people in your team demonstrate these qualities.
You can employ
people who are positive
Start by looking at each person in your team or those you want to hire. Ask yourself the following questions:
Do they have a positive attitude? Do they generate positive energy? Are they enthusiastic? Do they encourage other people? How do people feel after meeting them?
Do they take responsibility? Do they use volunteer language, saying that they want to make things happen? Or do they use victim language, saying that things happen to them? Are they resilient? Do they rebound from setbacks?
Bearing these answers in mind, ask yourself the following questions:
On a scale 0 – 10, to what extent do I rate the person as being positive: a) Towards customers: b) Towards colleagues?
Some employees can behave superbly with customers, for example, but may be difficult with colleagues. Great team members recognise that it is important to be positive with both groups.
Looking at each person in turn, rate them in both areas. Then describe what they can do to maintain or improve the ratings.
You can employ people
who are professional
Move onto the next stage. Looking at each person in turn, ask the following questions:
Do they behave professionally? Are they customer focused? Do they produce good quality work? Do they make clear contracts with people? Do they meet their promises?
Are they self managing? Do they want to improve? Are they proactive? Do they stay ahead of the game?
When making a decision, are they able to sketch out the possible strategies? Do they see the consequences of each option? Do they then make good decisions?
What are the words that their colleagues say about them? What are the words that their manager and the other key players in the organisation say about them?
Bearing these answers in mind, ask yourself:
On a scale 0 – 10, to what extent do I rate the person as being professional: a) Towards customers: b) Towards colleagues?
Rate them in both areas and then describe what they can do to maintain or improve the ratings.
You can employ people
who can be peak performers
Move onto the final stage. Looking at each person in turn, ask yourself:
Do they have the ability to be a peak performer? What are the activities in which they deliver As rather than Bs or Cs?
When are they in their element – at ease and yet able to excel? When do they produce excellence?
If this were my own business – and my own money – would I employ this person? If so, what would I hire them to deliver? What would be the benefits to the team?
There may only be a limited number of times when a person is asked to deliver what could be truly called peak performances.
What you are looking for here, however, is whether the person always puts in the work required – such as the preparation – and then rises to the occasion to produce fine work for both customers and colleagues.
Bearing these things in mind, ask yourself:
On a scale 0 – 10, to what extent do I rate the person as delivering peak performances: a) When working with customers: b) When working with colleagues?
Rate them in both areas and then describe what they can do to maintain or improve the ratings.
Imagine you have taken this approach. Here are the kinds of scores you are looking for when considering each person.
Being Positive: 8+.
Being Professional: 7+. This is providing they are willing to keep developing.
Being a Peak Performer: 7+. This is providing they are willing to use their talents to the benefit of the team.
One leader explained how he had used this approach when focusing on some of his team.
The part I found most useful was rating one of my key players in relation to both customers and colleagues.
He was superb with clients, but terrible with team members. He dismissed people’s opinions and moaned aloud in the office.
So I gave him the option of: a) Choosing to be professional towards team members, or: b) Carrying on being unprofessional and, as a result, being moved on from the team.
After a period of reflection, he chose to be professional towards his colleagues.
Since then he has been true to his word, but I am not taking any chances.
I have visited his customers, introduced them to other team members and have a back-up plan in case he reverts to his old behaviour.
Spirit is crucial. It is vital to have team members who aim to be positive, professional and peak performers. This provides the basis for continuing to build a super team.
If you wish, try tackling the final exercise on this theme. This invites you to do the following things.
Describe the specific things you can do to build a team of people who aim to be positive, professional and peak performers.
Describe the specific benefits of building such a team.
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