Do You Have 11 Quarterbacks?
Teamwork makes the dream work. We’ve all heard the quote and more than likely repeated it a few times. The statement is true “if” you have the right combination of team players, but what if you don’t have a comprehensive team covering all the necessary positions?
Not having a well-rounded team would be like watching a team of quarterbacks with no defense, other offense players, or special teams trying to win a game. I’m not much of a sports guru (this is Christy if you haven’t guessed) and yeah, I had to ask “the google” what positions make up a football team, but even I know 11 people playing the same position would never win a game. Unbalanced teams can create tension, destroy momentum, and hinder progress toward achieving an organization’s mission.
Hey, we’ve all done it. When we launched exo18 we found ourselves missing a critical team player. We thought we were building a comprehensive team but ended up with a lot of big idea people and only one person breaking down those big ideas into executable steps. To make matters worse, no one on our team enjoyed being stuck for long doing administrative tasks. When we got together for our own mini StratX and worked through one of our exercises we had our own ah-ha moment. We realized we had to make a transition with one of our staff members to hire a detail, task-oriented person. And when that person joined our team, we felt immediate relief and gained traction.
Since we are all creatures of habit and can easily build a team of people like us, how can we avoid these team building pitfalls? When building an effective team, intentionality is key. Know how each person on your team is wired to work, identify any gaps, and hire accordingly. Once you have the right team, create opportunities for honest feedback. Having a clear mission statement, organizational flow charts, and updated job descriptions are necessary for clarity, accountability, and scalability. Always be willing to recognize if someone is not a good fit in their current position and make necessary changes. When hiring, hire for the benefit of the organization, and not solely based on chemistry, a desire to onboard a specific person, or to give someone in need a job. And don’t hire someone to fill a position thinking you can figure out the best fit later. Doing so will create a lot of frustration for all parties. When you do build the right team don’t let complacency settle in. Communication is vital to assure the team is doing as well as you think they are.
If your team hasn’t experienced the momentum you desire, and you can’t seem to identify the root issue, we can help. We’d love to connect and hear more about you, your team, and organization. Contact us via this form, DM us on Instagram @exo18strategy, or Facebook @exo18llc. Let us help you move from where you are to where you want to be.
