FOUR TIPS TO HAVING THE RIGHT TEAM IN PLACE: TIP 3
In my last two blog posts, I’ve expanded on one of my favorite analogies, “there is a butt for every seat.” I’ve given you two tips so far for how to make sure you have the right people in the right positions on your team.
Tip 1 is about identifying strengths.
Now What?
Now that you’ve done that, what if you determine that you have some people in positions that are missing some of the “nice to have” skills needed to do the job?
Not every butt is going to fit in every seat perfectly. Generally speaking, not every team member will be firing on all cylinders. There is most likely an area that is not quite up to expectations, but that is still an important aspect of the job.
How do we manage a gap in skills? What can we do to give our team the best chance of success?
We figure out ways to strengthen or transfer the tasks.
TIP 3: HAVE YOUR PEOPLE DO WHAT THEY DO BEST
When considering strengthening a task in a team member, consider the time it will take to do so. What is the ROI of spending time to train that person? Will it make an impact on their most important and valuable contribution as a member of your team?
Or, could you potentially transfer that skill to someone else that could handle the task, freeing them up to do what they’re best at?
Example: Some of the best revenue generators I have ever seen are horrible with paperwork (can I hear a massive AMEN from the operations teams). Yes, there are exceptions, but as a generalization, sales is not the most detail-oriented area of a company. They are typically driven by results, love being with people, developing relationships and making things happen; not necessarily interested in reporting, details, etc.
Instead of fighting it and demanding a square peg fit in a round hole, what would happen if you utilized a “detail person” in your operation to check through paperwork and tie up any loose ends?
When you put people in positions to do what they do best, you:
Encourage positive performance from your team members
Minimize time spent on training for something that may have little impact on the overall success of the position
Foster a happier and more productive team
That said, when transferring tasks, it is important to set a higher bar for revenue generation at the same time. This is a two way street. If your people are freed up to do what they do best, give them the goals to match it, and expect more of what they do well in return. In the end, everyone is usually happier and more productive.
