Since leadership is about what we achieve with and through others, having the right people on your team’s metaphorical “bus” is one of the most basic keys to your organizational success. It’s extremely unlikely your team will reach cohesion and be able to overcome common team dysfunctions without the right team players. Team cultures that demonstrate high levels of clarity around who they are AND who they are not are far more behaviorally aligned. These teams experience fewer silos, less relationship discord and greater overall morale. Your first step toward a high performing culture is to Identify the virtues which align with one. From there, you will need to consistently coach up these virtues to reinforce their value in your culture. Choose to coach these values so team members further develop them, rather than use them as hammers to emphasize a gap. Patrick Lencioni’s well-known “Ideal Team Player” work serves as an excellent guide for getting the right people onto your bus, but also for what virtues to consistently coach into internally. The ideal team player virtues of humility, hunger and smarts lead the way in the healthiest organizational cultures because these team members:
have little ego and regularly share accolades
work with a sense of energy, urgency, passion, and responsibility
are not above doing whatever they can for the sake of the team
say and do the right things for others to feel appreciated, understood and included
engage in difficult conversations using tough love
When it comes to teamwork, having just one out of three of the virtues will create problems. Consider the following labels and the gaps presented by each one.
Humble Only: Known as Pawns
pleasant, kind, unassuming people who just don’t feel the need to get a lot done
get left out of conversations and activities
have little impact on the performance of their team
can survive on teams that value harmony without demanding performance
Hungry Only: Known as Bulldozers
determined to get things done with a focus on their own interests and benefits
lack understanding of how their actions impact others
thrive in organizations that put top premium on production alone
self-focus creates destruction on teams
Smart Only: Known as Charmers
are entertaining and likable, but negligible contributions create quick negative impact
will have little interest in the long-term well-being of the team or their colleagues
social skills help them survive longer than bulldozers or pawns
Here are some tips for coaching up humility, hunger and smarts within your team members.
To encourage HUMILITY:
learn to praise others vs. taking the credit yourself
spotlight the team instead of yourself
admit your mistakes
apologize often and well
use "we" not "me" language
To encourage HUNGER:
note that this is the hardest trait to develop/coach in adults
create clarity around expectations
master self-accountability in the little disciplines
model the “extra mile” mindset and spotlight it
make very specific “asks” and create opportunities for people to step into them
map out success and follow a game plan instead of taking a haphazard approach
connect the team/organization goals to their "why"
To encourage SMARTS (people intelligence):
use the “coach approach” (using teachable moments to help him/her learn and grow)
remind your team member that manners, grace and common sense go a very long way
tackle the communication issue – it’s often a matter of unnecessary misunderstandings due to using 2D vs. 3D communication
develop a skill set for difficult conversations
Remember: what is caught is more important than what is taught. Hold yourself to a high standard and model these behaviors daily, then be willing to coach into them with members of your team.
I'll be here to help you along the way.
