Buiilding the best team
I find human behaviour interesting. More so when I tried to hire team members in my company. I believes in human potential; that with proper guidance and motivation, a person can achieve their full potential. That believe is my strength and and at the same time is my weakness.
My first hiring was not a complete disaster. It was based on convenience rather than a thorough consideration. My believe on human potential kept me going through the agony of series of under performance. After 2 years of guidance and coaching, I gave up and fired the employee.
Today, I still continue with the same philosophy in recruitment. No, not recruitment of convenience but rather after careful thinking. Still, my little experiment had produced mixed results. I tried to figure out why. Then it struck me that it may be due to one's behaviour. Some people can and willing to fulfill their potential. Some people just can't. It's not that they don't want to fulfil their best, but defeatist attitude is in their DNA.
In water rafting for example, you need every body in your team to row the board, at the same pace, at the same direction. You cannot have one person rowing at a different direction, or being a passenger, enjoying the view, while others rowing the boat. While the team will may eventually arrive at their destination, this is not a truly functional team.
The rest of the team members may feel exhausted and lethargic as their need to "carry" the passengers. They also may be feeling cheated as the 'passenger' is getting the same reward with less the effort. This situation give an underlying message that we can reap the reward without giving our best effort. Psychologically, the members may feel that it is not worth it to give their best anymore. In a long run, non performing will be contagious and effect all other team members like a virus. Like any other host affected by virus, it will die ... Slow and painful death.
In my experience, the best way to know one's attitude is to test them.
I always gives lot of assignments based on ones capabilities and area of expertise. I need to assess one's aptitude and attitude. Nobody is perfect, but you need to be within the acceptable quadrant.
I can accept failures because when you fail means that you have tried to do something. That's how keep learning from your mistake and grow mature from university of experience. However, I can't accept failure to do something. It just shows the kind of DNA that I do not want to be in a team.
The quest for me to understand and creating the best team continues.
My first hiring was not a complete disaster. It was based on convenience rather than a thorough consideration. My believe on human potential kept me going through the agony of series of under performance. After 2 years of guidance and coaching, I gave up and fired the employee.
Today, I still continue with the same philosophy in recruitment. No, not recruitment of convenience but rather after careful thinking. Still, my little experiment had produced mixed results. I tried to figure out why. Then it struck me that it may be due to one's behaviour. Some people can and willing to fulfill their potential. Some people just can't. It's not that they don't want to fulfil their best, but defeatist attitude is in their DNA.
In water rafting for example, you need every body in your team to row the board, at the same pace, at the same direction. You cannot have one person rowing at a different direction, or being a passenger, enjoying the view, while others rowing the boat. While the team will may eventually arrive at their destination, this is not a truly functional team.
The rest of the team members may feel exhausted and lethargic as their need to "carry" the passengers. They also may be feeling cheated as the 'passenger' is getting the same reward with less the effort. This situation give an underlying message that we can reap the reward without giving our best effort. Psychologically, the members may feel that it is not worth it to give their best anymore. In a long run, non performing will be contagious and effect all other team members like a virus. Like any other host affected by virus, it will die ... Slow and painful death.
In my experience, the best way to know one's attitude is to test them.
I always gives lot of assignments based on ones capabilities and area of expertise. I need to assess one's aptitude and attitude. Nobody is perfect, but you need to be within the acceptable quadrant.
I can accept failures because when you fail means that you have tried to do something. That's how keep learning from your mistake and grow mature from university of experience. However, I can't accept failure to do something. It just shows the kind of DNA that I do not want to be in a team.
The quest for me to understand and creating the best team continues.
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