What should you focus on when creating a team so that the investment can be “returned” in the exceeded KPIs, but also a loyal, satisfied employee?

What should you focus on when creating a team so that the investment can be “returned” in the exceeded KPIs, but also a loyal, satisfied employee?

Recently I talked to a friend I hadn’t seen for a long time. An economist by education and a senior director by profession. An outstanding, proactive person with a great sense of humor and equally great knowledge and experience. After exchanging general information about our life and professional situations, I heard, “My team is great. It does everything really well.” Surprised, I asked, “What is your key in selecting a team of specialists? Experts?” In response, the friend said, “Soft Anka, only soft skills. All other metrics will be worked out.” 

“Talent wins game, but teamwork and intelligence win championships.”

Michael Jordan

Here we go again. We come back to the topic of selecting the right team to achieve goals. What competencies should be included? What should you focus on to get a “return” in the form of exceeded KPIs, but also a loyal, satisfied employee?

Your main goal and task is to build a team of people who share your values and have basic skills that are complementary and better than your own skills. Most often, however, bosses are afraid that someone on the team may turn out to be better than them. This is a therapeutic problem, not a business one, which makes it extremely difficult for the team to function and achieve results. There are mainly three reasons why you hire employees:

1. for specific knowledge in a precise field that allows you to achieve the organization’s goals 
2. skills beyond your own 
3. values that are coherent with your (organization’s) values, including soft skills and the right attitude.

As we know, it is still people who create the greatest value of the organization, despite the 5.0 revolution (someone has to manage the technology), we cooperate with people who have different competences at very different levels. However, employees’ declarations and promises often differ significantly from reality. What should you pay attention to when selecting a team? 

1. Get to know the team’s individual motivations
2. Get the key values from every team member
3. Align the individual goals of each person in the team with the values-based goals of the organization. 
4. Choose emotional intelligence: an attitude of cooperation, emotional maturity and a high level of communication skills

Every conversation regarding building and developing a “top team” begins with a question about the roles that employees are to play, and not with the question of who exactly should be in the team. It is worth doing a comparative audit in the respect of  goals we want to achieve, e.g. in the coming quarter. You can then use the below questions:  

1. When I was thinking about creating a team, on what basis did I hire employees?  
2. Based on what criteria did I decide to employ them? 
3. Now, what type of employees do I need to meet my new goals? 
4. What competences, knowledge and values are the key to achieving the company’s goals and vision?
5. What experience do you need in your employees to achieve the organization’s most important goals?
6. In your opinion, what key skills and attitudes are a necessary condition and are non-negotiable when selecting team members?

Once we have defined the desired competence profile, it is time for your very systematic work as a manager with each reporting person. Otherwise, sooner or later, people leave both physically (rotation) and mentally (e.g. loss of motivation). According to the statement that employees most often do not leave the company but their bosses. 

1. Provide feedback and feedforward in the management cycle and provide skills not only important from the KPI point of view, but also from the point of view of developing the competences of team members. 
2. Let experts and specialists be active and their actions useful. 
3. Introduce a management style based on the art of asking questions, not orders or advices.  
4. Analyze success – what results from it and analyze failure. Make comparisons and teach it to your team. 
5. Develop soft skills in your team constantly

Well, it seems that if you apply everything above, you will become a “Saint” and perfect in the role of a manager, and everything will go perfectly in the team building process. Of course this won’t happen. The manager’s role is a dramatic role placed between decision-makers and the team and is characterized by problem-solving and striving to achieve goals through the “hands” of the team. However, when you apply the above points (collected by Infinity Power International during 20 years of working with management), you will certainly be more aware, faster and more effective in solving these problems and building and developing a really effective and good team.

Author: Anna Modrzewska

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