Article Contributed by Dr. Joey Faucette
It’s as familiar as the chorus of American Pie by Don Mclean, only instead of “the day the music died,” it’s “the day the employee died.”
It begins with something like, “She’s just not working out…” and wraps up with “It’s just hard to find the right person today.”
Whether you’re a small business owner or a C-Level Executive of a Fortune 50, you’re in search mode 24/7 for the right person in the right place at the right time for the right reasons. The conundrum lies in focusing too much on the person with little regard for the place, time, and reasons in your business.
Here are four questions you must ask to discover your Work Positive Dream Team:
Where is the Place?
Place refers to the position on the team. Every football team has one quarterback, one center, two guards, two tackles, etc. Their places are defined clearly. Their assignments emerge from their places on the field. They are trained to know what to do when.
Does the position you’re seeking to fill have a complete description? Did the team participate in writing it? Is everyone’s mind clear about how the team Works Positive once it’s filled?
The largest deficiency I discover almost weekly in my coaching and consulting business is an inadequate understanding by leader, team and candidate of, “Where is the place on the team that this person fills?” Incomplete position descriptions are typically discovered by the candidate in the first 90 days when the “other duties as assigned by leader” take over the previously understood primary tasks.
When is the Time?
Time refers to a couple of realities. First, what happens once the person is hired? Is there a prescribed process for assimilation and integration?
Second, and this is most important, who will take the time in this process to train the new team member? When will the leader receive feedback from the trainer to monitor the process? What are the benchmarks for appropriate progress?
Even if all of the dominant tasks are exactly the same as the candidate performs currently for another company, your business culture is different. That means training is required for team and task integration to occur. Neglect training and you install a revolving door on your team.
What are the Reasons?
Reasons refers to an evaluation of the team opening. Why is this position open on the team now? What was the impact of our relationship with the previous team member on this opening? Is it a new position designed to increase capacity? Then what are the ripple effects on the team, i.e., who relinquishes what and how?
Discover the reasons for this opening by looking back at former teammates’ experiences gathered from exit interviews or a strategic planning process that led to the creation of the position so you forecast accurately for maximum effectiveness.
Who is the Person?
Finally you arrive at the person. Diagnostic tools are readily available to determine the person’s fit and finish with place, time, and reasons. You previously defined place, time, and reasons. Now you define who the person is that fills the position best.
Pursue an understanding of the person and who she or he really is by using case studies and role plays. Do personality indicators. Dig deeply into second-generation referrals. Examine social media content. Inviting someone on your team is analogous to getting married—for better, for worse. The key is to assure as many “better” experiences as possible.
You do just that as you positively ask these four questions and invite your Dream Team to Work Positive.
About the Author
Dr. Joey Faucette is the #1 best-selling author of Work Positive in a Negative World (Entrepreneur Press), Positive Success Coach, & speaker who helps business professionals increase sales with greater productivity so they get out of the office earlier to do what they love with those they love. Discover more at www.GetPositive.Today.