\u201cBecome the kind of leader that people would follow voluntarily; even if you had no title or position.\u201d – Brian Tracy<\/p>\n
Our third discipline in our series on the Disciplines of Effectiveness is to Assemble a Team. No man builds a thriving organization totally alone. It\u2019s not financially, mentally or physically possible. Every thriving organization has multiple people involved – internally such as a staff – and externally such as customers or vendors.<\/p>\n
Yet, many entrepreneurs consider themselves the holder of some magical keys – their vision or idea, along with the commitment to follow it through. Many entrepreneurs mistakenly believe that they are the only people who can fully commit to the idea\u00a0and that they can execute all aspects of the vision better than anyone else.<\/p>\n
Therein lies the problem with happiness, productivity, and growth in an organization. A one-man-band giving lip-service to the idea of working with others, holding special information, calling employees to take responsibility, while refusing to delegate authority.<\/p>\n
Organizations contract without an effective team
\nI don\u2019t think all organizations can scale easily in size or revenue. However, I\u2019m convinced that an organization that can scale, and thrive, will contract without an effective team. I commonly work with organizations that have great growth potential, a lot of opportunities, but they keep hitting a ceiling\u00a0and then contract. The organization stresses under the pressure of opportunity, but can never achieve a breakthrough moment.<\/p>\n
The problem is commonly the result of an ineffective team. Here are some common things we see: A team that …<\/p>\n
Doesn\u2019t have the right team members
\nDoesn\u2019t have access to the information that they need to make good, fast decisions
\nDoesn\u2019t have access to the tools to do their jobs effectively (computer systems, etc.)
\nDoesn\u2019t have authority to make good, fast decisions<\/p>\n
Think of it this way\u2026 An unlubricated engine will not work well. It will eventually overheat and be destroyed. Plenty of potential energy that cannot be released because there are no ways to get parts to move quickly when so close together. True of engines\u00a0and organizations – the systems, the tools, the access to information are the lubrication that can keep the organization running smoothly.<\/p>\n
An organization missing the critical components of a good team will be slow. Communication will be odd and haphazard. Relationships will feel fake. There will be pressure of making decisions, but never taking action. \u201cUs and them\u201d conversations will creep in. Employees do their jobs and leave, never making a significant impact or doing anything remarkable. This becomes the organization no smart individual wants to work for, and so a negative cycle is created.<\/p>\n
But, you can grow an effective organization if you have the right team members on a good team.<\/p>\n
Everyone knows the odd man out. I have said it\u2019s akin to the feeling of the train leaving the station, but that person is never on board. It\u2019s painful to watch, and no good for you, them, or the organization. Building a team begins with making sure the right people are on board.<\/p>\n
Building a team doesn\u2019t mean that everyone needs to agree. Healthy disagreement can lead to better decisions as you\u2019ll see more angles of the same opportunity. Having someone challenge why a decision is made can be an ally and avoid yes-men thinking. Some of the best words people speak to me are challenging and involve \u201cno – you shouldn\u2019t do that.\u201d<\/p>\n
Building a successful team does mean that everyone plays their part, and plays it well. A team of average players will be average. A team of average players with one or two rock-stars can go nearly all the way. A team of all the best players will win the playoffs.<\/p>\n
The challenge for nearly every entrepreneur I\u2019ve met is that building a team is scary. It means that employees will be better than you at what they do. It also means that you will need to decide what you care about, and what you would need to stay out of. You will need to think more, and decide how to understand how the team is functioning, and how you\u2019ll measure success. Far too much to unpack here, but let\u2019s address one thing – delegating authority.<\/p>\n
Delegate authority
\nI have a fifteen-year-old son who is learning to drive. There are four distinct phases to his development as a driver. First, he has watched me drive for years. He knows the principles of driving – what it\u2019s supposed to look like. Second, he has a driving instructor who will train him in a special car that the instructor can use to assist in the event of an error on my son\u2019s part. Third, my son drives my car while I sit in the passenger seat. Four, he will eventually drive on his own and have complete authority.<\/p>\n
There is a flow to successfully training a driver – from having him watch me, to having him do it while someone can intervene in some way, to full control on his part. When he\u2019s alone he will have the responsibility of getting himself and my car home safely. Plus, he\u2019ll have full authority to do that. I will not be able to intervene. Success is when he gets home safely without damaging the car, himself, or someone else.<\/p>\n
So it is in an organization. You may be asking people to take responsibility, but if you continue to intervene, you are demonstrating that they do not have authority. Doing so will create an ineffective employee who eventually tells you that if you would rather drive then why should they? And, they\u2019re right! You create your own problem\u00a0while blaming the employee.<\/p>\n
Assemble a Team
\nYes, you need to get good at assembling a team. Find your rock stars who will commit to the vision, and are good at what they do. Give them the tools and information they need, and agree on how you\u2019ll measure success. Establish a formal, frequent review to discuss what\u2019s going on. Then, delegate, delegate, delegate.<\/p>\n
Easy to say, I know \u2026<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
\u201cBecome the kind of leader that people would follow voluntarily;…<\/p>\n