Building A Team That Fuels Transformation

“People are your most valuable asset.” If you’ve spent any time in the corporate world, you’ve probably heard this sentiment tossed around. But this blanket statement needs a few more qualifiers to ring true. The right people placed in the right positions collaborating to achieve goals that are aligned and that further the desired position of the company… now, that’s a priceless asset!

There are many different aspects to consider when assembling your ideal team, especially when organizational transformation is on the horizon. Today, I’m going to discuss what to look for when selecting the right people to help transform your business.

Desired qualities. Sustainable companies are those that implement purposeful change with an eye towards the future. Moving through these kinds of major transformations can feel like an insurmountable task, but with the right team, they are far more manageable and successful.

Here are a few of the top qualities to look for when selecting your top leaders.

• Look for trustworthy, open communicators. It’s imperative to create a safe environment where people feel like they can express their thoughts and ideas without judgements.
• Leaders can’t be conflict-avoidant. All team members should be comfortable facing problems in a timely, productive manner that focuses on solutions.
• Team players don’t play the blame game. Seek out people who are accountable and consistently take responsibility for their actions, no matter the outcome.
• Commitment and alignment are key. Your people must believe in the company’s values, as well as the mission of the transformation at hand.
• For your transformational team to achieve greatness, you’ve got to stock it with people who are motivated by results and focused on measuring success over time.
• Unsurprisingly, the same qualities that you should focus on when recruiting leaders, are the qualities that should be cultivated within this group once assembled.

The right mix. You can recruit people with all the right character traits, but there is still more to consider. For example, structural questions like, what roles will make up your top team? How many people will be on the team?

In addition, team dynamics are just as critical as each individual’s traits. If you don’t consider the bigger picture, you might still end up with a dysfunctional group. Here are a few more elements to keep in mind when picking your leadership line-up.

• Personalities. Too much of the same personality type in a room can undermine your team. Companies often use personality profiles to understand more about their employees. These can be very useful for creating a harmonious transformational team.
• Prior experience. Just like it’s a strength to place a variety of personality types on your team, it’s also a good idea to choose people with an array of backgrounds. For example, hiring only from within may result in closed-mindedness, whereas a team of just outsiders might not understand the company’s current position and history well enough to lead it to success. Also, bringing on team members with a wide range of experience in different fields or industries can bring fresh perspectives and ideas to the table.
• Diversity. Hopefully, your company is already focusing on developing a diverse workforce. Hiring an array of different ages, genders, nationalities, and religions will continue to broaden the knowledge and perspectives available to your top team.

Once you’ve made your shortlist and taken all candidates’ traits, personalities, and backgrounds into consideration, you’re ready to officially assemble your lineup. This process takes time and thought but is well worth it. The quality of your leaders and the team’s dynamics are what will make or break your company’s success in the future.