Skip to main content
A woman sitting in an office across a desk from a man who is interviewing her

Select Top Talent

Written by Mark Miller on . Posted in Organization, Planning, Talent. No Comments on Select Top Talent

Selecting employees is not the same as recruiting talent. The difference between the two is profound. How do you recruit talent?

Unfortunately, many leaders do not recruit talent, they select people. To select is to sort through applicants and choose the best one.

To recruit is different.

Recruiting is the process of identifying the most appropriate people for a specific role and aggressively pursuing them.

As in most definitions, the words matter. Let’s break this down:

  • Process – This implies a pre-determined, well-conceived, repeatable, and disciplined approach to the work. A process involves steps with assigned accountability and measures of effectiveness embedded along the way. Many organizations do not have a process for recruiting talent – does yours?
  • Most Appropriate – This part of the definition suggests you know the criteria or qualifications for the role you’re trying to fill. In sports, coaches are looking for the ideal candidate. I believe businesses should do the same. In the end, you may have to compromise on some of your desires. However, you should never settle when it comes to the most critical attributes. Do you know the specific skills your ideal candidate must possess?
  • Identifying – After you know exactly what you’re looking for, process comes into play again. What are the steps to find candidates like the one you described? Where have you found them in the past? Where might you find them in the future? A Division 1 basketball coach once said he was personally scouting and recruiting middle school players – middle school! The war for talent is real in all walks of life. To recruit talent, you must first find them.
  • Aggressively Pursuing – Once you know what you’re looking for and where you might find it, how aggressive are you? How much time and energy do you invest in the pursuit? A business leader told me his number one need was finding great talent. I asked him how many hours he had personally invested the previous week in his “number one” issue. He said, “Zero.” I don’t think that qualifies as aggressively pursuing talent.

Another thought about aggressively pursuing talent: How strong is your offer? In today’s world, money isn’t the only factor when trying to get someone to join your team. I love the idea of total compensation. This includes income, benefits, and what I call “psychic income.”

Psychic income encompasses all the intangibles. You see this in professional sports from time to time. An athlete will take less money to play for a team with a better chance to win a championship or to live in a better city.

In corporate America, some will work for a company whose purpose or values resonate with their own. Others will value an organization with a reputation for helping people grow. When you put your package together, don’t undersell psychic income; people can’t take it to the bank, but often it can be the difference between winning the deal or not.

To recruit talent, you must first find them.

So, how do you recruit talent? You first decide talent can create a competitive advantage and then you create a process that supports that belief. Then you’re ready for the hard part – you have to work the process.

 

A group of players on a sports team, standing in a huddle with their arms around each other. A group of players on a sports team, standing in a huddle with their arms around each other.

Master Team Basics

Written by Mark Miller on . Posted in Engagement, Talent, Teams. No Comments on Master Team Basics

I am a big fan of teams. Obviously I have a strong bias since I wrote a book titled, The Secret of Teams and the companion Field Guide.

So that got me thinking about why I love teams so much. Here are some of the reasons I came up with…

Teams allow people to maximize their individual contribution. When we’re part of a strong team, we can focus on our strengths. Good teams allow people to play to their strengths.

Teams can accomplish what individuals cannot. Here are a few fun facts: When Walt Disney made Snow White, he supervised over 700 animators. When Michelangelo painted the Sistine Chapel ceiling, he did so with the help of many assistants and other painters. And when NASA wanted to put men on the moon, they employed over 400,000 men and women to make that dream a reality. I don’t want to invest my life in something so small I can do it by myself. A big dream requires a strong team.

Teams create capacity. When a leader decides to empower a team, the impact is dramatic – not just in terms of results. Yes, results will improve. But perhaps of equal or greater value is the capacity a leader can create when other capable people put their hands on the rope. More people pulling in the same direction is always a good outcome. As a result, senior leaders can be freed up to do only what they can do.

Teams outperform individuals. The evidence is clear on this one. When a team combines their experience, education, passions, personalities, creativity, intellect, and their judgment, the results speak for themselves. This collective experience and wisdom translates into real, tangible results! Teams create competitive advantage because…

None of us is as smart as all of us.

Teams are life-giving. When a team is working well, there’s nothing quite like it. To be a member of a high performance team is one of life’s great pleasures. For those of you who’ve never been on a team like I’m describing, this may seem like a stretch. It’s not. When a team is comprised of the right people with appropriate, diverse skills and the team is pursuing genuine community, the personal benefits almost defy description. To be part of a group in which people know, serve, celebrate, mourn, and love each other is priceless.

I realize this list could be much longer. As I confessed in the beginning, I’m a big fan of teams! If you’ve not been part of a team that enjoys the benefits I just listed, maybe today is the day you decide to build one.

Why are you a fan of teams?

 

five hands in a row laid out on a table, all different skin tones five hands in a row laid out on a table, all different skin tones

Leading People Who are Different

Written by Mark Miller on . Posted in Culture, Talent, Teams. No Comments on Leading People Who are Different

How do you lead a team with vastly different personalities?

I once received this question after a speaking engagement. I’m not sure what the person thought I might say, but I told him congratulations! Teams perform at their highest level when they are comprised of people who are different. Teams who lack diversity are severely handicapped.

Diversity in a team setting comes in many forms, such as: race, age, gender, ethnicity, education, passions, talents, skills, experiences. And yes, even personality differences add to the richness and power of a team.

To address this question specifically, I have three suggestions regarding different personalities:

Acknowledge the tension – For some reason, to name something makes it more approachable. If you’re introverted and people on your team don’t seem to understand that, talk about it! If you’re frustrated because some members of your team always want to talk about the details and all you want to discuss is the big picture, talk about it. Don’t pretend people are the same and don’t sweep issues under the rug.

Learn about people’s differences – Do you really understand different personality types? Do you have a deep, working knowledge of the differences represented on your team? A thorough review of each member’s personality profile could be an outstanding team building activity. If you’ve been confused or frustrated by the actions of others in the past, this activity may answer a lot of questions.

Leverage the differences – Just like a good sports team assigns positions based on specific skills, you can increase your effectiveness if you get the right people doing the right work. Extroverts, introverts, people who are more concrete and those who are more abstract in their thinking, those who are more detail-oriented and those who are not – there’s a place for everyone. As leaders, one of our roles is to help people find the right place to contribute. If we’re successful, the individual and the team both win.

All of this may sound like a lot of work, and it is. Building a high performance team is hard. But the right team composition can accelerate the journey. Diversity, including personality, is a gift. The ultimate strength of your team hangs in the balance. If you have a team of diverse individuals, be thankful; if you don’t, you need to start recruiting.

 

Three friends jumping from a snowy sidewalk into the air, excited with hands raised. Three friends jumping from a snowy sidewalk into the air, excited with hands raised.

How Fun Is It To Work For You?

Written by Mark Miller on . Posted in Culture, Organization, Talent. No Comments on How Fun Is It To Work For You?

When my oldest son was little, I found myself coaching one of his baseball teams. During one game, I noticed a pattern. The kids in the on-deck circle looked terrified. It was as if they were awaiting their turn on the gallows. I saw this look in their eyes, child after child.

I’m not sure where it came from but many of the kids were just scared – not of being hit by a pitch, but of not getting a hit. Perhaps it was the overzealous support and expectations of their parents, or maybe they weren’t old enough to understand three hits out of ten at bats would put them in the hall of fame someday.

For whatever reason, their fear and anxiety manifested itself in tension, and as you can imagine, this did not help their odds of getting a hit – it made matters worse. These young boys had created a self-fulfilling prophecy: “I’m scared I won’t get a hit,” and it worked – they didn’t.

As an inexperienced coach who loved the game, I had flashbacks to my years on the diamond. I knew if these guys weren’t having fun, it would decrease their performance, not to mention miss the ENTIRE point of playing Little League baseball.

So, as each boy was about to approach the plate, I called them over and said, “I have some advice for you.”

The looks on their faces are etched in my mind to this day; they looked as if I was about to impart the wisdom of the ages. “Smile and have fun,” I offered with a big smile. Then, I made them smile before I would let them go to the batter’s box.

A funny thing happened that day – not every boy got a hit, but a lot of them did! And even those who popped up or struck out seemed to return to the dugout with smiles on their faces. Could it be that they had rediscovered why they were playing the game?

Recently, I was addressing a group of business leaders when the topic of ‘fun in the workplace’ came up. It was listed as one of the contributing factors in employee engagement. Do you buy it? I do.

If you and I can create a fun place to work, engagement will increase. To be clear, multiple factors drive engagement, but fun is one often overlooked.

Who controls the “Fun Factor” in an organization? Leaders.

How fun is it to work in your organization? On your team? You have a lot to say about this issue whether you realize it or not. Here are a few ideas to help raise the Fun Factor:

  • Select fun people – This is one of the keys to Southwest Airlines’ legendary culture. If you’re not fun, I’ve been told, it is hard to get a job at Southwest. Are you looking for fun people? It will be easier to select them than to change them.
  • Schedule time for celebration – Do you put time on the calendar to celebrate? This can take many forms… birthdays, anniversaries, award programs, major milestones. If you struggle with spontaneous outbreaks of fun, your calendar may come to your rescue.
  • Designate a point person – Here’s the truth: Some people are more fun than others – naturally – without trying. It is a combination of temperament, personality, and, in some cases, giftedness. Find someone who was born to party and ask him or her to help you make your workplace more fun.
  • Don’t take yourself too seriously – Undoubtedly, the work you and your organization is doing is important. My advice is to take the work seriously but never take yourself too seriously. If you aren’t having fun, chances are good your people aren’t either.

If you aren’t having fun, you aren’t doing it right. – Bubba Cathy

At the end of the day, be sure to remind people to smile and have fun. You’ll be amazed at what happens to their batting average.

What do you do to make it fun to work for you?

three women around a conference table with their computers three women around a conference table with their computers

Pursue Genuine Community

Written by Mark Miller on . Posted in Performance, Talent, Teams. No Comments on Pursue Genuine Community

Teams outperform individuals in virtually every situation. This fact has not escaped the attention of most leaders. What has been more elusive is the winning formula for creating great teams. The good news, there is a repeatable and predictable formula for building High Performance Teams.

My personal fascination with teams began as a child. Since attempting to capture some of the key learnings and observations from this journey in my book, The Secret of Teams, what I’ve not addressed is how teams fit within the leadership ecosystem.

Leaders who wish to maximize their potential must learn to Lead Self, Lead Others, Lead Teams, and Lead Organizations.

Let’s begin with a review of what many of you know from your own experience – the advantages to building a High Performance Team are numerous…

  • Turbocharge performance – If you create a High Performance Team, you will be able to produce results that exceed your expectations.
  • Accelerate team member growth – When High Performance Teams are functioning well, they are a hotbed for learning new skills.
  • Leverage the talents of individual members – The fundamental reason teams work so well is the diversity of talents, gifts, passions, and experience.
  • Create leadership capacity – When a High Performance team is firing on all cylinders, one of the outcomes is less dependence on the physical presence of the leader.

I’m guessing any leader who has been part of a High Performance Team would validate these benefits, but why call out Leading Teams in a leadership ecosystem?

First, there are specific decisions, skills, and disciplines necessary to create and sustain a High Performance Team. These elements do not spontaneously appear, but they can be forged over time with a high degree of success. They are too important to be a subtext in a description of Leading Others.

Next, here’s how the four elements of the ecosystem fit together…
If a leader can’t lead self, he or she will always struggle with leading others. If you can’t lead others, you will always struggle with leading teams. And, if you can’t lead teams, the chances are good you’ll not have the personal or leadership capacity required to lead an organization.

Not too long ago, I talked to a leader who could testify to the idea of why teams matter to a growing organization. After hearing the potential of a High Performance Organization, he confided in me, “I’m in real trouble.”

“Why?” I asked.

“Because I don’t have the capacity to build the type of organization you described.”

“Can your leadership team help?” I asked.

“I don’t have a leadership team.”

I had no response. Every leader needs to know how to build High Performance Teams. If you need a list of reasons, see the ideas above. But perhaps more importantly, if you’re struggling to build a High Performance Organization, leading teams may be the step you’ve missed.

Enjoy the journey!

African American man sitting at a desk in front of his computer leaning on his hand, looking overwhelmed or frustrated African American man sitting at a desk in front of his computer leaning on his hand, looking overwhelmed or frustrated

The Peter Principle

Written by Mark Miller on . Posted in Development, Organization, Talent. No Comments on The Peter Principle

The Peter Principle was published in 1969. The premise: often people are promoted, again and again, until they reach their level of incompetence. If left unchecked, more than the individual suffers; the organization can become stuck because so many people have risen to their level of incompetence.

How do you beat the Peter Principle? The answer depends on whether you are looking at it as an individual or an organization. Let’s take a quick look at a prescription for both…

As an individual…

Commit to life-long learning. The best antidote I know for individuals is to continue to grow. Our capacity to grow determines our capacity to lead. If you suspect you may be approaching your personal limits regarding contribution, double down on your development efforts.

Become a student of senior leaders. Men and women who have risen to high levels of influence have done so because of a set of demonstrated behaviors. Pay attention and learn what is valued in your organization. Do your senior leaders ask great questions? I’m guessing they do. You can learn to do that. Do your senior leaders memorize the names of employees? You can do that, too. You and I do not control our opportunities, but we do control our readiness. Senior leaders may be the guide we need.

As an organization…

Recognize, don’t promote, people. The impact of this strategy is huge in an organization. Here’s the fundamental difference – to recognize means an individual is already performing at the next level. Promotions, on the other hand, are often based on potential. The world is full of people with unrealized potential.

Correct your mistakes. If you have promoted on potential, and that potential never materializes, take corrective action. Your options are limited once you realize you’ve made a mistake. You can move the person, demote the person, change the scope of his or her assignment, or terminate. None of these are easy decisions. That’s why I’m a big fan of recognition.

Create the expectation for personal growth. Senior leaders must establish a cultural mandate for people to grow. A “grow or go” expectation can combat the Peter Principle at all levels. If people aren’t growing, you’ll forever struggle to fill your leadership pipeline. One best practice in this area is to require every employee to have a written personal development plan. You can take accountability to another level by requiring sign-off on the plan by the supervisor.

Create a systematic way to evaluate leaders and emerging leaders. We use a process called a Leadership Talent Review. The concept is simple: Predetermine what you expect from leaders and then evaluate them against those expectations.

Be clear on the expectations at all levels. It is extremely difficult to recognize someone performing at the next level if you don’t know what you are looking for at the next level. As an example, if you want senior leaders to see the big picture, you can look for this attribute among your candidates for an open position.

Don’t get caught by the Peter Principle – as an individual or an organization. If your career stalls, it should be because your organization didn’t need another senior leader, not because you were deemed incompetent in your current role.