The Laughing Wolf

Building A Team

Yesterday, Boudicca wrote an excellent post, that then sparked Tammi to pursue an avenue of thought as well. The tag-team effort has prompted me to give some thoughts I have as a manager.

Over the last 20 or so years I have worked with some very good people, and some who could not find their bung with both hands, mirrors, video, controllers, and detailed guidance from said controllers. In terms of the package that held the people, it has varied wildly: some, male and female, have been gorgeous and others would never win any physical beauty contest. What has made the good people good has never been the package or its plumbing.

The people who have been good at their work, and a joy with which to work, all share one thing in common: their spirit. They simply did not know their stuff, they knew how to apply the stuff to the job at hand. They were eager to apply themselves to the job, and every one of the best looked ahead and tried to figure out how to do it better next time and to prevent problems from arising to bite us in bad places.

This is not just work ethic, it is something more that I still have a hard time defining. It’s that spark that engages them and you, and takes things well beyond what is expected. That spark is there in far more people than you might expect, and it might need encouragement, but it is there. With it, the person provides 110 percent or more. Without out it, you can end up with an anchor to all you try to do.

Compare and contrast the following scenarios:

You are at a major trade show and are getting slammed. The person with you is new. It is the second day of the show and despite pre-trip coaching and reading assignments, and intensive on-site work, the new person still does not get even the most basic spiel right. It is rapidly clear that they have not done any preparation and are not a fast learner. Boat Anchor.

You are at a major trade show and getting slammed. The person with you is new. It is the end of the first day, and the newbie takes you aside. They have problems with the spiels, and wonder if it would still be accurate to say X instead of Y, and if mentioning Z might bring in some additional precision with the hook. Ignition and lift-off.

Or

“I’m bored.” You know, I am just not appreciated and want to be given greater responsibilities and a better title. I have not met the basic requirements of my job, but simply must be given something additional or I will not be happy (and neither will you).

“I’m bored.” The work I was hired to do is not filling my time and I see that X needs work and since I am interested in expanding my expertise, would love to work on Y as well to help promote that growth. I understand if this is not possible and would be unhappy, but I can fill my time with interesting Photoshops of the big boss and posting interesting and suggestive anonymous newsletters tacked up on all the bulletin boards (I will have fun, not sure about you).

I know who I would like to have work for me, and with whom I have enjoyed working. If I could devise a test to pick the person with the spark, I would be a very rich man. As it is, there is no way short of experience to learn who has the spark and who doesn’t; who won’t get the basics after weeks, or who will come in with no knowledge of the technical area and get it in 15 minutes. With time, you learn to see the signs and to see below the surface, and you learn.

The package doesn’t matter, it is what is inside that counts.

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