Skip to main content

Tag: personalities

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.