Managing a Winning Team Starts with the Right Personnel

Management means lots of things…

So the first question that comes to my mind is, “What can be managed?” The simple answer is anything! When I Googled that question, there were 72,800,000 results including broad categories like business, knowledge, processes, projects, stress, anger, aging, conflict, time, suppliers, weight, diabetes, data, systems and diversity … and, trust me, the list of subjects went on and on.

What I also noticed from the near 73 million hits is that the most popular search for things to manage is people. That’s not a big surprise. Fundamentally people are at the heart of our business and therefore people can —and must — be managed. However, in order to manage a winning team, there are several steps involved that can be categorized as both management and leadership.

I love how Stephen Covey defines the roles of leadership and management. “Management is efficiency in climbing the ladder of success; leadership determines whether the ladder is leaning against the right wall.” Peter Drucker says, “Management is doing things right; leadership is doing the right things.”

It’s your job to know which wall the ladder should be leaning against. As managers, we rely on the leadership of our organization to provide us with the vision, the guidance and the tools we need to properly climb that ladder. Regardless of how large or small the team, you are charged with helping others achieve their objectives as individuals and bond as a team, so that together you can accomplish great things. The last thing you want is for a manager to be successful at helping employees thrive individually, while missing the mark on achieving success as a team. When that happens, you don’t win.

Maybe you have worked with a group where the manager encourages individual performance but does not spend any time in trying to create a group dynamic. This managerial act alone may result in encouraging animosity amongst the members of the team. I assure you, not only is this environment not a fun one, it is not productive. Typically, the business will suffer over the long term — slipping away little by little which will create low morale, lack of confidence in the company, and an all around miserable working environment. This negativity then affects your client base which in turn, may create completely disloyal customers.

The Power of Positive Group Dynamics

Having said that, do not underestimate the power of positive group dynamics. As a manager, you will come to understand the strengths of each member of your team. I am a huge proponent of the StrengthsFinder system and process. If you are not familiar with the StrengthsFinder methodology, I encourage you to visit their website. The concept is that the best-led organizations know that the most direct path to individual, team, and organizational improvement begins with a primary investment in their associates’ greatest talents. The key is to discover what’s “naturally right” with your people and then build on it. Make the investment of time and energy to find out what the strengths are for each of your team members.

Have the Right Personnel in the Right Positions

Having the right people in the right place is a key component in building your winning team. I was recently reviewing a short video called, “You Can’t Send a Duck to Eagle School” by Mac Anderson. The video was fun, containing some meaningful messages for leaders and managers to keep in mind. The video opens with the Mac reminiscing about having lunch a few years ago with a top executive from a company which was known for their legendary service. He asked the executive how the company had achieved such success and the response was something he never forgot. The executive responded, “You can’t send a duck to eagle school.” Mac said “Excuse me?” And the executive went on to say, “You can’t send a duck to eagle school. You can’t teach someone to want to serve; you can’t teach people to smile; you can’t teach personality; but you can hire people who have those qualities and teach them your product and your culture.” This is my point exactly.

There is a Very Simple Blueprint to Follow

After encouraging both individual and team performance and getting the right employees in the right roles, there is a very simple blueprint to follow if you want to develop a winning system. There is no rocket science here, just a few simple components that must be part of a winning system:

1. Have a plan.
2. Keep score.
3. Engage and inspire.
4. Develop talent.
5. Make adjustments as needed and do it all over again!

For help in implementing the first component needed for a winning system, check out my next article, “The Importance of Having a Plan When Building a Winning Team.”