By Lisa Purichia
Partner, Director of Accounting & Retirement Plan Services
[email protected]
Now that we’re more than halfway through the year, now is a good time to think about your team members and determine how you can strengthen your team. You want to attract talent that is Humble, Hungry and Smart, as noted in author Pat Lencioni’s book, The Ideal Team Player. You need diversity of thought to discover your blind spots. It is also okay if team members are better than the “boss” in certain talents and skills.
Maybe you need to build upon your existing staff. Look for complementary people who bring diversity in all its forms, whether it’s gender, ethnicity, economic backgrounds, talents and skills, etc. Diversity brings different perspectives on how to approach challenges to provide solutions and reach certain goals.
As this recent Forbes article states: “A team that has a variety of worldview perspectives can educate employees and clients and reach untapped customer demographics. This opens the conversation to new, unexplored and different ideas. In fact, companies with greater diversity are 70% more likely to capture more markets.
Here are some tips to help you get started on the path toward strengthening your team and your company as a whole.
Surround Yourself with People Who Make You Better. Who shows strength in areas where you are typically weak? Which team members keep your ego in check and realistic with practical solutions?
Listen closely! Ask your staff members about their goals within the company. Where do they hope to see themselves next month or next year? What do they want to improve? Raising these questions will let them know you care, but make sure your actions mirror your narrative and accordingly you will motivate them to be team players.
Invest in your people. Make sure they have all the necessary resources, including tools and training — not just in the beginning but continuously throughout their time at the company. The current workplace environment mandates that your staff is continually enhancing their skills or learning new ones. Coach your employees and make them hungry to grow and thrive. But also be patient, give them the proper amount of runway and time to blossom. Focus on building the individual’s strengths — what they do well. Don’t try and fit that square peg in a round hole!
Identify strengths and weaknesses. The most successful businesses have an effective talent management system for finding the BEST candidates to meet the company’s wide variety of needs. If there are competency gaps within your organization, perhaps you need to rethink hiring strategies, provide more training or assign certain tasks to different employees. You should ultimately strive to create an eclectic team. The more your team members are Hungry, Humble and Smart, the BETTER your team will become!
If we can assist you with achieving success in your business through staff enhancement, please contact Lisa Purichia at (317) 608-6693 or email [email protected].