How to Build a team: my top 3 tips
Greg Martin
I am focussed on evidence based interventions to improve population health and address health inequalities. I also love teaching public health, research methods and R Programming
I’m in the middle of expanding my team and have been giving some thought to identifying the right people and the right mix of people. So, whether you’re building a team, or are part of a team that is being built, here are some ideas to ponder:?
My success depends almost entirely on the extent to which I get the right people AND the right mix of people, pulling with heart thumping enthusiasm, in the same direction.
1. Technical vs transferable skills?
There is a tendency (especially within Public Health circles) to populate teams with an army of staff that have deep subject matter specific knowledge. There are however diminishing returns from adding technical expertise onto your team. Transferable skills like the ability to plan a project, implement change, operationalise a programme, monitor performance, quantify and manage risk etc. will enable a small quota of technical experts to operate at maximal efficiency.?
So, yes you need those PhD graduates to help think through “what” needs to be done…. but then populate your team with people that have transferable skills who can take the “what” and turn it into the “how”.?
2. Attidute vs aptitude?
People feed off each other. Enthusiasm and work ethic are contagious. Anyone that brings a “can do” attitude into the conversation is helping you leverage the skills and capabilities of another ten people on the team. They are gold. By the same token, anyone who engenders a toxic work environment is doing more harm than good. I really believe this.?Of course, you need people that arrive at work with a certain level of raw ability. I’m not suggesting that you hire the village idiot just because he or she is bouncing with enthusiasm.
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Find capable people but never allow extraordinary capability to supersede the shared values that underpin the environment that you’re trying to create.?
3. Structure is everything?
Don’t have too many direct reports. Having a large number of people reporting to you might sound appealing but you are unlikely to have the time needed to give each of them the attention they require. Your own work will suffer. You’ll find you have no time to read, to think, and to develop strategies.
In my view, four direct reports is more-or-less the right number to have in a core group. Structure your organogram so that they balance of your team report into that core. This normative advice and not always practicable. I understand that.
The sentiment here is this: where given the autonomy to do so, don’t fall into the trap of thinking that more is more.??
Thanks for taking the time to read my musings - do send thoughts and feedback. If you think that this article is of value to others, then please do share it with others.
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Happy day,
Greg
Health System Officer at World Health Organization, Sudan
2 年Thanks Greg
Consulting Firm
2 年Great, thanks. This reminds me about the ants. Ants work together. They live in a colony. By resourcefully combining the leaves, the weaver ants are able to form nests over a few trees, thus supporting a much larger population. It is indeed the industriousness and the teamwork of ants that have helped them to build their magnificent nests. ? Ants value teamwork. A single ant can’t do so much, but when they work as a team,?they are able to achieve greater heights! Ants don't just leave their fellow ants alone when carrying huge objects, they help each other, making it possible for them to achieve their goals. ? Ants are considered one of the smartest insects. Even though bees may be smarter, ants are among the top most intelligent insects. One study showed that ants possess the ability to use tools, which is a common way to assess intelligence. ? There is the queen ant in her colony. The simple reason is that, without the queen to lay eggs, no other new members are added to the colony. Since all the workers are sterile, the ants do not survive for long without the queen. Every ant knows their own roles and carries out their tasks faithfully. They are able to work together effectively because they all have the same goal for the good and unity of the colony. ? Lessons we can learn from the ants is this. Ants teach us the value of smart and hard team work, exemplify what it means to be self-motivated, the necessity to plan and look ahead; and teamwork and unity. Ant's principles are having the ability to foresee and that is why they save for future : )
Professor of Global Public Health at Institute of Public Health, College of Medicine and Health Sciences, UAE University, & Associate Professor Loma Linda University School of Public Health, Loma Linda, California
2 年It depends in what setting you are targetting ? Goals and outcome expectation ?
Global Health Consultant | Crisis Management & Humanitarian | Top 25 Global Impact Leaders Best Selling Co-Author | Helping Countries', Businesses' & Organizations' Resilience
2 年Thanks for this valuable contribution. I believe that having a very specific vision, mission and code of honor does attract the right team members, with the most aligned ones building the core together. ??
Non Clinical Services Manager, Regional Hospital Mullingar
2 年Good luck with the team expansion work! Interesting & insightful newsletter, thanks for sharing.