The Simple Question You Must Answer When Evaluating Talent

Leaders waste so much time, energy, and effort evaluating team members. They are making a critical topic much more complicated than it needs to be.?

Talent matters. The quality of character, ability of skills, and how people work together is more often than not the difference between a team's success and failure. Which is why the most important question a leader answers is, "Do I have the right team members?"??

It's no secret that newly appointed leaders evaluate this question immediately after accepting a new job. (Some even use it as a significant criterion before they take a role) Established leaders are constantly assessing the quality of the talent on their team because they know that leading teams successfully comes down to a key idea: Finding highly talented people who continually improve and getting them to work well together.?

Leading teams successfully comes down to a key idea: Find highly talented people who continually improve and get them to work well together.??

I have written before about the 45-Day Talent Rule, which is powerful, but after further reflection, study, and experience, it is even too complicated.??

Common Mistakes Leaders Make Evaluating Talent

Before we get to the most straightforward way, it's essential to look at the common mistakes leaders make in evaluating talent:?

1. Focusing solely on individual achievement?- Results matter. However, an individual achievement can rarely carry a team for a sustained period. No one likes to work with selfish people who don't work well with others. Removing one toxic high performer can have a multiplier effect on a team.?
2. Refusing to evaluate their own role in underperformance?- It's easy to judge someone's performance, but it's hard to look in the mirror and assess your culpability as a leader for those lackluster results. Did you set clear standards? Did you coach them effectively? Did you provide feedback and accountability? These are all powerful questions for leaders to evaluate and answer.?
3. Fixating on weaknesses vs. strengths?- It's essential to address areas of improvement, but it's equally important to recognize and celebrate team members' strengths. Focusing on strengths first can be a great way to inspire and encourage them to elevate their weaknesses. This can also be a great way to better allocate tasks and responsibilities to someone who might be in the wrong role, not on the wrong team.?
4. Underestimating the time required to develop?- Growth and development take time. In today's instant gratification and results-driven world, managers must remember how long their development takes. Everyone goes through stages of development, and the best leaders coach differently based on each team member's stage of development.??
5. Looking for a perfect candidate?- Perfection is the opposite of progress. While it would be unbelievable to find an ideal candidate, they don't exist. Ask anyone who has been married for a substantial amount of time; they will be the first to admit no one is perfect. The key is to get the big things right, like core values, attitude, and coachability. If you need help, you can download the free Hiring Excellence Outliner here.?

Everyone is guilty of one or more of these at some point or another. So, if you find yourself making these mistakes, don't fret. Focus on the one you are most guilty of making and commit to doing it differently next time.?

The "Keeper Test"

Ok, now what you came for? What's this cheat code to help you evaluate talent? During a recent episode of the Tim Ferriss Podcast, guest Reed Hastings , founder of Netflix, shared an idea I can't get out of my head. Ferriss asked him, "In the early days, which principles in the Netflix culture doc were most important to permeate the organization?"

"Almost every organization has some fantastic people, but it's an incredible feeling when everyone in a company is amazing though. It was a big part of our high-performance culture. This was best delivered by the Keeper Test. When I was eight years old, I caught a large fish, and my dad said, 'That's a keeper!' I always remembered that. So the Keeper test is when someone is thinking about quitting, do we try to change their mind to keep them? Or would we say, bummer, but go ahead??

He continued, "So,?we wanted to fill the company with people we would fight to keep.?What we would say is, if we wouldn't fight to keep someone, we should proactively give them a severance package and try to find someone we would fight to keep."

There is a lot to unpack here, but the "Keeper Test" is leadership gold.

Instead of making talent evaluation so complicated, ask yourself one question, "Would I fight to keep this team member?" You only have the right team member if the answer is a simple yes.?

Closing

Simple is almost always better. However, I know everything isn't always black and white, and there is usually a stroke of grey when it comes to people. There are all kinds of complexities related to finances, having people to do the work, and giving people time to improve. This is precisely why leadership is more art than science, and I trust you are in your current position for a reason.??

However, remember your responsibility is to find highly talented people who continually improve and get them to work well together. Look at the data, use your experience, trust your judgment, and then ask yourself one simple question, "Would I fight to keep them?"

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About the Author John Eades is the CEO of LearnLoft, a leadership development helping companies improve performance through leadership. He was named one of LinkedIn’s Top Voices. John is also the author of Building the Best: 8 Proven Leadership Principles to Elevate Others to Success. You can follow him on Instagram @johngeades.