Guess what? In this scenario, everyone wins big. In the other, there are lots of excuses but few results.
I’ll give you an example: I used to own an air freight trucking company in California where I had crewmembers working around the clock. We had a deadline for loading trucks—if they weren’t loaded and ready to depart by 3:00 a.m., they would not make delivery on time to the East Coast. We had several instances where we had so much freight that our night crew, who loaded those trucks, was falling behind.
By 11:00 p.m., it became apparent that we were not going to make the cutoffs. So in true team fashion, the night crew foreman got on the phone and called up the day crew and asked them to come in to help, even though they had already worked a full shift that day.
Not one person complained about it. The daytime folks took care of the paperwork and the administrative work, so that the night crew could focus its attention on loading those trucks and getting them out on time. Trucks pulled out by 2:45 a.m. and the mission was accomplished. Everyone high-fived, some went to breakfast and the rest went home to bed. We didn’t have to do it often, but everyone felt exhilarated and pumped when we did. No one asked for overtime, extra time off or special favors. Mission came first, teammates second and self third. It happened because we had a rule in our Code of Honor that said to “never abandon a teammate in need.” Because of that rule, no one felt unsupported, and no one was left behind.
Our company’s mission in that situation was to load those trucks and get them out on time. But what is so important to recognize here is that in the attempt to accomplish the mission, the needs of the team, or in this case the night crew, were met. And ultimately, the needs of the individuals were met as well. No one had to feel stressed out or unsupported, because the work got done. We had ourselves a championship team.
But what’s also important to recognize is that the fact that you want to play on a team doesn’t mean that you qualify. So how do you determine who should be on the team?
The Draft: Getting Players on the Team
If desire isn’t enough, what should you look for when creating a team? Who are the people you surround yourself with, and will they push you up, hold you to the same standards or bring you down? You have to make that call. As we get older, this gets harder to do, because it may mean breaking habits and a social circle that you’ve grown comfortable with. There comes to be a feeling of emotional obligation. So the quicker you take a look at who’s on your team, the better.
Here are the questions you need to ask yourself when pulling a team together:
1. What kind of energy do they have?
At SalesDogs, the motto is “Highest energy wins!” This is especially true in sales, but also on any team that interfaces with other people. What kind of energy? Engaging, interactive, inquisitive, active, bright and full of possibility. A great team player never thinks or speaks in terms of “can’t,” only in terms of “how can we?” You know the kind of person I am talking about. In their own way, they light up a room with either excitement and enthusiasm, calmness and focus or strength and confidence. I cannot stress the importance of energy enough, because it permeates everything that you do. It is the source of resourcefulness and connectedness with others and laces the environment with upbeat feelings that increase speed and possibility. Who do you have around you? Think about it. Criticism is okay, in fact imperative, but does it expand the possibilities or contract them?
2. Do they have a desire to win?
One of Rich Dad’s rules is that you must have an undying desire to win. Not that you will win all the time, but that you are going for it. Some people just want to be liked, to be comfortable and to be part of a team, and that’s great. But do they want to win? Are they willing to do what it takes? Lots of people say they want to win, but do they really? It’s an easy thing to say, but where are they when the “heat” is on?
Ask yourself, “Do I want to win?” Because why in the world would you have people on your team who are only there to collect a paycheck and hang out, not really caring if the team wins? Sure, everybody likes to win. But are they willing to put in the time and energy? I’m not an advocate of hard work for its own sake, but I do advocate doing whatever it takes to get the win. Are they willing to put off immediate gratification for that long-term success?
3. Are they willing to let somebody else win?
Being on a team means that you put aside your desire for immediate personal gain and that you are willing to support others. That means you don’t always get to be the star. You have to be okay with sitting on the bench if that’s what’s best for the team. If someone has a better idea, be willing to listen with an open mind and keep quiet until they complete their thoughts. People who want to know about their salary before they find out the mission are highly suspect.
4. Are they personally responsible?
Another necessary quality for anyone who wants to join a team is the willingness to take responsibility, not blaming others but owning up to mistakes. In your interview, ask any candidate about the biggest mistakes and the biggest wins he or she ever made and why they happened. What went wrong? Did someone else get the blame? Were there circumstances beyond their control? What did this person learn from that experience? Listen very carefully to their answers. You don’t want someone on your team who can’t take responsibility or who points fingers at others. That breeds distrust, and will destroy your team. You want someone who will say, “I learned something from that,” or, “Next time I would do this.”
5. Are they willing to submit to the code?
Anyone looking to join your team must understand the current Code of Honor. Once it’s explained, he or she can do one of three things:
• Agree with it (great!)
• Disagree with it (in which case this person is a wrong fit for the team)
• Ask questions to clarify
Using my example of the trucking company’s code, new candidates would sometimes ask whether they would receive more money for helping the night crew. Our staff would smile and say no and would gently but firmly tell them that our outfit was probably not a good fit for them. It doesn’t mean they were bad people, but they just wouldn’t fit in a culture that defines “never abandon a teammate in need” the way we did.
6. Do they have unique talent or ability?
Ideally each person on the team should be there because of the unique abilities and talents that they bring to their positions. Accountants do not need to be artists or copywriters. Salespeople do not need to be technicians. When putting your team together or rearranging an existing one, make sure that you get the best people doing what they do best. Shaquille O’Neal for the LA Lakers is six-foot-ten and 350 pounds. He is a great power forward. He would make a terrible jockey! Get my point? We’ll talk more about this later.
In the end, who is on the team is determined by the standards that you set and the code that you are willing to live by. Once you draw a line in the sand and make clear who you are, what your standards are and what is acceptable and what is not, you will have a lineup of people who want to play that way. You may also have some fallout from those who don’t want to play that way in the beginning. And that’s okay.
In choosing who is on the team, I tend to follow the advice I heard once from Bill Cosby on one of his shows. He said, “I don’t know the key to success, but I do know that the key to failure is trying to please everyone.”
If you try to accommodate everyone, you will attract a bit of everything. As a result, you will have to deal with all kinds of different neuroses. You have enough on your hands to deal with, and unless you have a degree in psychology, why bother?
Great Expectations
If a person has the energy, willingness to take third priority, the