What to Look For When Forming a Team

What to Look For When Forming a Team

Let’s say you need to form a team. Maybe it’s a project team to implement a strategy. Maybe it’s a cross-functional team to deal with an issue that cuts across the org chart. Maybe it’s an integration team to help with a recent acquisition. In any case, you need to put together a team to get it done. Picking the right people is critical – it could very well make the difference between success and failure.

What should you look for when selecting team members? Beyond the obvious of ensuring representation from the right departments / locations / functions, here are four traits to look for:

1. Well-Respected

It doesn’t matter how smart or experienced a person is if they’re not respected by their peers. Not being respected, they won’t be able to have influence. And if they can’t have influence, you don’t want them on the team.

2. Doers

Many people are good at generating ideas and making recommendations. But if you need to get things done, that’s not enough. You want people who are action-oriented, who take initiative, and who have a track-record as doers.

3. Big-Teamers

Some people view their role as representing the interests of their particular area – the “small team”. They have a hard time identifying with what’s best for the organization – the “big team”. That can lead to dysfunctional conflict. You want people who have the larger perspective – “big-teamers.”

4. Constructive Challengers

It’s easy for teams to succumb to groupthink – when the desire for harmony inhibits the questioning of opinions and consideration of alternative views. That’s not healthy. You want at least a couple of people on the team who are constructive challengers. Broad-minded people with the courage to challenge ideas in a constructive way.

You want the type of people who will give your team the best chance to succeed. Looking for these 4 traits helps you achieve that.

Make it happen.

Michael

P.S. Would you like to receive Make Strategy Happen resources (models, tools, videos, articles and more) direct to your inbox? Subscribe to our Making Strategy Happen resources here.

Related Articles


Srini Pagidyala

Mission: To bring the benefits of Real AI to Humanity | Contrarian approach to Real AI Beyond LLMs | Speaking with ‘Aligned’ Lead Investors who are ‘Second Believers’ with appetite for Asymmetric Investments

5 年

Michael Canic - Thanks for sharing. What would you recommend as some of the effective ways to measure these traits in an individual?

回复

要查看或添加评论,请登录

Michael Canic的更多文章

  • FIVE CHARACTERISTICS OF THE MOST SUCCESSFUL TEAMS

    FIVE CHARACTERISTICS OF THE MOST SUCCESSFUL TEAMS

    What makes a successful team? Undoubtedly, there are many contributing factors. But which of them are most highly…

    2 条评论
  • HERE’S A GOAL: SET BETTER GOALS

    HERE’S A GOAL: SET BETTER GOALS

    The first month of the year is now behind us. Which means — if you’re like many leaders — it’s time to evaluate how…

  • HERE’S WHO’S STANDING IN THE WAY OF STRATEGIC CHANGE

    HERE’S WHO’S STANDING IN THE WAY OF STRATEGIC CHANGE

    Your strategy is set. Now comes the hard part: making it happen.

    4 条评论
  • THREE GRATITUDES FOR 2020

    THREE GRATITUDES FOR 2020

    It’s been a difficult and challenging year. Still, there are things to be grateful for if we’re willing to orient our…

  • FOUR WORDS TO GUIDE YOU IN 2021

    FOUR WORDS TO GUIDE YOU IN 2021

    If there was ever a year to shake us out of our complacency, this was it. Continued, straight-line growth? Ha!…

  • THIS IS HOW IT’S SUPPOSED TO FEEL

    THIS IS HOW IT’S SUPPOSED TO FEEL

    I remember the start of “summit day” on my first big mountain. It was biting cold and the wind whipped my face like a…

  • THE TRAITS YOU DEFINITELY WANT IN TODAY’S TEAM MEMBERS

    THE TRAITS YOU DEFINITELY WANT IN TODAY’S TEAM MEMBERS

    One thing leaders have discovered over the past nine months is that different people have responded differently to the…

    3 条评论
  • WHAT SHOULD A LEADER BELIEVE?

    WHAT SHOULD A LEADER BELIEVE?

    James Randi, who devoted much of his life to debunking claims of the paranormal, recently passed away at the age of 92.…

  • THE BIGGEST THREAT TO YOUR TOP PRIORITIES IS THIS

    THE BIGGEST THREAT TO YOUR TOP PRIORITIES IS THIS

    It seems you always have a lot of things to get done and never enough time to do them. Worse, some of the things you…

  • HOW TO EFFECTIVELY MANAGE YOUR REMOTE WORKFORCE

    HOW TO EFFECTIVELY MANAGE YOUR REMOTE WORKFORCE

    One consequence of the COVID pandemic is that managers have had to deal with a new and, to many, daunting challenge:…

社区洞察

其他会员也浏览了