Building a Solid Team: It Matters Who is Your Raft

 Finally, the moment of launch had arrived! Our raft was gently placed into the water, and we clambered aboard, three on one side, three on the other, with our fearless leader taking position at the back. The initial minutes of our journey felt surprisingly uneventful, almost like practice for us novices. Tom, our guide, took advantage of the calm waters to run through the commands once more: "Left two forward, all back full, all forward dig." We executed them well, and Tom couldn't help but complimented our newfound prowess.

 Now, let's take a step back to give you a bit of context about my rafting companions. I take the concept of this chapter: "It Matters Who Is in Your Raft" to heart. The men you see in the picture on the front cover of this book were friends then and remain friends to this day. Despite separations due to job changes, family shifts, and life's various events, I can guarantee that if I called any one of them, they'd jump in to help without hesitation. As you navigate your own life and leadership journey, being deliberate about your choice of raft mates is crucial. Here's a brief introduction to this incredible crew:

 

l  Greg: I've known him since high school. Greg is a banker involved in complex investment work. He's a sports and adventure enthusiast, a big joker, fiercely competitive, yet kind-hearted.

 

l  Rob: Also in banking initially and now a small business owner. Rob is a deep thinker and a wealth of knowledge. He possesses a great sense of humor.

 

l  Jimmy: He works in Logistics and is a strong leader in a global organization. Also, he's tough but caring and committed.

 

l  Eddie: An exceptional educator, skilled tennis player, and an all-around good person.

 

l  Jon: A Senior HR professional and a pastor. He serves as a mentor to me and many others. Jon is kind-hearted but unafraid to speak the truth.

 

I hold deep respect for each of these men for various reasons. They stay true to their authentic selves, trust one another, respect diverse opinions, and understand that, especially on this particular day, the collective is greater than the individual.

 

Most of you are already on your own river journey. I'm sure you can identify those who have aided your trip and those who have been challenging to paddle with. I genuinely believe that to be authentic, we must be mindful of who we choose to share a raft with. In this chapter, I'll share some insights about forming a remarkable crew or building a solid team.

 

Identifying and recruiting top talent

I have a vivid memory from early in my career when we were in the process of hiring an Executive Chef for a large convention hotel. At the time, I had just assumed the role of Food and Beverage Director, and with hundreds of hires under my belt, I figured I was well qualified for the task. I followed the usual protocol: reviewing resumes, conducting phone interviews, and inviting a couple of finalists for in-person meetings and cooking presentations.

 

However, there was an issue at this particular hotel. The culture had been far from ideal, characterized by a "do as I say, not as I do" attitude, and the results were evident in the team's lack of energy and engagement. While I was aware of these problems, I made two significant mistakes during the recruitment process:

 

1.        Getting blinded by a Resume: I allowed myself to be swayed by an impressive resume. The candidate I selected had an extensive background, massive experience, and all the right qualifications. I was captivated by his stories and accounts of catering to celebrities. Regrettably, I ignored clear signs of poor leadership, elitism, and a lack of genuine concern.

 

2.        Ignoring Critical Needs: I failed to prioritize what mattered most – the team's needs, the culture, the sense of connection, and the energy within the group. Instead, I was enamored with a fancy resume, overlooking the qualities that make a true leader.

 

Throughout this book, we will delve into the responsibilities that we all bear as leaders for those under our care. Neglecting their needs is a catastrophic mistake. It doesn't mean that leaders should bend to every changing desire of the team; quite the contrary – effective leadership involves energizing the team around a shared purpose.

 

So, I made the hiring mistake of selecting a candidate with a dazzling resume but a lackluster leadership style. We celebrated the hiring loudly, only to be confronted with concerning complaints within the first week. The new Chef was disengaged, authoritarian, and conspicuously absent. How had I missed this? The answer was simple – I didn't truly look. I disregarded what mattered most – the culture, the connection, and the team's energy. I had hired a resume, not a leader.

 

I felt a profound sense of disappointment. I had let my team down. They entrusted me to find a great leader, and in my haste, I focused on all the wrong attributes. It was a failure. This decision not only further eroded the team's engagement but also damaged some of the credibility I had built with them.

 

Every decision matters, and as a leader, you must reflect deeply on your choices and consider their impact. The rest of the story involves a challenging conversation with the new Chef, explaining that it wasn't a good fit and parting ways. We eventually found the right person and embarked on the journey of rebuilding the culture. The subsequent years were marked by tremendous success.

 

Now, let me give you some tips on how you can identify and recruit top talents in your industry. Knowing this will add more to your skills and values as an effective leader. However, you should bear in mind that effective talent acquisition is an ongoing process that requires adaptability and refinement.

 

Below are how you can identify and hire talents:

 

l  Define Your Needs: While trying to hire top talent, you should be able to identify the specific skills, qualifications, and experience required for the position. After that, you also need to determine the cultural fit by defining your company's values and work culture. And you have to ensure you create a detailed job description with clear expectations and responsibilities.

 

l  Network: Ensure you always attend industry-specific events, conferences, and seminars to meet potential candidates. Also, you should join different online professional networks and forums related to your industry. Connect with colleagues, mentors, and peers to tap into their networks for referrals.

 

l  Employee Referrals: You should encourage your current employees to refer candidates from their networks. Offer incentives or rewards for successful referrals to motivate your team.

 

l  Online Job Boards: You can post your job openings on popular job boards like Indeed, Glassdoor, or industry-specific platforms. Make sure you optimize your job listings with relevant keywords to increase visibility.

 

l  Social Media: You should consider sharing job postings on your company's social media channels (LinkedIn, Twitter, Facebook). Also, you might need to encourage employees to share job openings on their personal networks.

 

l  Use a Recruiter: Another reliable thing to do is to partner with a reputable recruiting agency or headhunter with expertise in your industry. So, you will have to provide them with a clear understanding of your requirements and company culture.

 

l  Conduct Thorough Interviews: You should conduct initial phone screenings to assess basic qualifications. And you can follow up with in-person or virtual interviews to evaluate technical skills and cultural fit. Importantly, you should also consider panel interviews involving multiple team members for diverse perspectives.

 

l  Assess Soft Skills: Incorporate behavioral questions to gauge soft skills like communication, problem-solving, and leadership potential. You should also use situational interviews to understand how candidates handle real-life challenges.

 

l  Check References: Ensure you contact provided references to verify the candidate's work history and qualifications. And ask open-ended questions to gain insights into their performance and character.

 

l  Offer Competitive Packages: You need to research industry salary benchmarks to ensure your compensation packages are competitive. In addition, make sure you highlight additional benefits like health insurance, retirement plans, and professional development opportunities.

 

l  Develop an Onboarding Plan: Create a structured onboarding process to familiarize new hires with company policies, procedures, and culture. Also, you need to assign mentors or buddies to help them integrate into the team.

 

l  Continuous Improvement: You should collect feedback from candidates and hiring managers to refine your recruitment process. Also, ensure you analyze key performance indicators (KPIs) such as time-to-hire and retention rates to measure effectiveness.

 

Fostering collaboration and synergy

 

I will urge you not to talk about collaboration unless you have trust!  So many managers aim to foster collaboration, yet they unintentionally create environments lacking trust. True collaboration only flourishes when people feel genuinely heard and valued. Essentially, fostering collaboration and synergy as a leader is significant for a productive and harmonious work environment. Here are key strategies to achieve this:

 

l  Lead by Example: You should demonstrate collaboration by actively participating in teamwork and cooperation. And ensure you show respect for diverse perspectives and encourage open communication.

 

l  Clear Communication: You need to clearly communicate your expectations, goals, and vision to the team. Also, you should encourage transparent and frequent communication among team members.

 

l  Set a Common Goal: Establish a shared vision or common goal that aligns with the organization's objectives. In addition, you need to ensure every team member understands their role in achieving this goal.

 

l  Team Building: It is your responsibility to organize team-building activities to build trust and camaraderie among team members. This promotes a sense of belonging and inclusivity within the team.

 

l  Recognize Individual Strengths: You need to identify and acknowledge each team member's unique strengths and contributions. Also, you should delegate tasks based on individual expertise to optimize performance.

 

l  Create Cross-Functional Teams: Form cross-functional teams to encourage collaboration across departments. You also need to foster an environment where different skills and perspectives can complement each other.

 

l  Provide Resources and Tools: Ensure your team has access to the necessary resources and tools to perform their best. You should also invest in training and development to enhance skills and knowledge.

 

l  Conflict Resolution: Make sure you address conflicts and disagreements promptly and constructively. And you should encourage open discussions to find mutually beneficial solutions.

 

l  Feedback and Recognition: Offer constructive feedback and recognition for achievements. You should acknowledge and celebrate the team's successes regularly.

 

l  Empower Decision-Making: Empower team members to make decisions within their areas of responsibility. You have to trust their judgment and provide guidance when needed.

 

l  Embrace Diversity and Inclusion: You should value diversity of thought, background, and experience within the team. And ensure you create an inclusive environment where all voices are heard and respected.

 

l  Measure and Evaluate: Establish key performance indicators (KPIs) to assess collaboration and synergy. You also need to use feedback and data to continuously improve teamwork and processes.

 

l  Lead with Emotional Intelligence: As a leader, you need to understand and manage your emotions and those of your team members. Be empathetic and considerate in your interactions.

 

l  Promote Innovation: Encourage a culture of innovation by welcoming new ideas and creative solutions. Also, you should support experimentation and calculated risk-taking.

 

l  Continuous Improvement: Regularly assess the team's collaborative efforts and make adjustments as needed. And ensure you adapt to changing circumstances and evolving team dynamics.

 

If you can implement all the aforementioned strategies, you can create an environment where collaboration and synergy thrive, leading to higher productivity, better outcomes, and a more engaged and satisfied team.

 

Effective communication and active listening

 

I once delivered a speech at a leadership conference centered around the theme of "Being Present." The inspiration for this topic stemmed from an experience during my early days working at a hotel in Florida, many years ago. At that time, I had just been appointed as the "Assistant General Manager," and I was a bustling young man. I dashed from one task to another, managing various projects, and I showcased my busyness by walking briskly and powering through everything. It was all about "looking the part" back then. Perhaps I had enough natural charisma and business acumen to make it work, but the truth was, I was on a path that could lead to significant frustration if something didn't change.

 

My satisfaction with my career didn't truly take off until I grasped the conflict between who I was meant to be and who I was striving to be. In my own perception, I saw myself as empathetic, connected, caring, and deeply engaged with our team. However, the reality was that I was so fixated on what was next and making it all happen that I was unintentionally neglecting the needs of those around me.

 

One particular morning, as I hurried through the lobby of the beautiful hotel, making my way from the engineering offices back to the executive office at a rapid pace, I passed one of our housekeeping team members. In an almost reflexive manner, I offered a polite "Good morning" – a textbook gesture to acknowledge one's team. Her response, though, caught me off guard. She replied with, "Good morning. How are you?" Without much thought, I replied, "Fine, how are you?" as I continued my brisk march toward my office.

 

Then came a show-stopping moment, one that has echoed in my mind for the past 25 years. She said, "Do you even care?" Those words hit me like a ton of bricks. I will forever be indebted to her for that morning and her boldness in calling me out. It was that single act of courage that ignited within me a profound desire to understand why there was such a gap between thinking I cared and truly caring.

 

I turned back to her, offered a sincere apology, and engaged in a brief conversation. To be honest, I can't recall the specifics of that conversation because the intense emotions I experienced at that moment were overwhelming. It felt as if I had been struck over the head and suddenly saw the world in a completely different light.

 

The essence of this brief story is to tell you the significance of effective communication and active listening. Being able to do these two important things as a leader will truly go a long way. In essence, they are skills for leaders.

 

Effective Communication

To master effective communication, focus on the following:

 

l  Clarity: Ensure your message is clear, concise, and easy to understand. Avoid jargon or overly technical language.

l  Active Voice: You should use active voice to convey your message with more impact and directness.

l  Feedback: Encourage open feedback from your team and peers. Be receptive to criticism and use it for self-improvement.

l  Non-Verbal Communication: You have to pay attention to your body language, tone, and facial expressions. They often convey more than words.

l  Listening: Actively listen to others, showing that you value their input. Maintain eye contact and avoid interrupting. Doing this, as a leader, fosters smooth communication between you and your team

l  Empathy: Understand and acknowledge the feelings and perspectives of others. Empathetic communication builds trust.

l  Ask Questions: Use open-ended questions to encourage discussion and ensure everyone's voice is heard.

l  Adapt Your Style: Tailor your communication style to your audience. Some may prefer written communication, while others thrive in face-to-face meetings.

l  Follow-Up: After conveying information, you should follow up to ensure it’s understood and provide clarification if necessary.

 

Active Listening

 

To master active listening as a leader, practice the following acts:

 

l  Stay Present: Be fully present in the conversation, avoiding distractions or multitasking.

l  Avoid Assumptions: Don't assume you know what the speaker will say. Make sure you approach each conversation with an open mind.

l  Paraphrase: Summarize what the speaker has said to confirm your understanding and show you're engaged.

l  Ask Clarifying Questions: If something isn't clear, ask for clarification rather than making assumptions.

l  Empathize: Try to understand the speaker's emotions and perspective. Show empathy by acknowledging their feelings.

l  Non-Verbal Cues: Pay attention to the speaker's body language and tone. These cues provide valuable context.

l  Resist Interrupting: Allow the speaker to finish their thoughts before responding. This is an important etiquette of listening.

l  Reflect Before Responding: Take a moment to process what was said before formulating your response.

l  Avoid Judgment: Suspend judgment and avoid jumping to conclusions. Be open to different viewpoints.

l  Provide Feedback: After the speaker has finished, offer constructive feedback or share your thoughts. Ensure it aligns with their message.

 

In essence, effective communication and active listening create a culture of understanding and collaboration within a team. They are essential skills for building trust, resolving conflicts, and making informed decisions as a leader.

 

Empowering and developing team members

 

Real empowerment is a myth nowadays. Don’t tell me you empower your teams and then tell me all the ways you monitor how they use their so-called freedom. We love to say “Empower” but we are scared to death, primarily because we're not sure we have trained our teams or prepared them for the weight of true freedom. It's on us, not them and fake empowerment is the opposite of the goal. However, empowering and developing team members is a crucial aspect of effective leadership.

 

Empowering Team Members

Here's how you can empower your team members:

 

l  Delegate Authority: Trust your team with responsibilities and decision-making power in their areas of expertise. Give them autonomy to make choices.

l  Set Clear Expectations: As a leader, you should clearly define roles, responsibilities, and expectations for each team member. Ensure they understand their individual and collective goals.

l  Provide Resources: Equip your team with the necessary tools, training, and resources to excel in their roles. Also, you need to address any obstacles that hinder their progress.

l  Encourage Innovation: Foster a culture of innovation by welcoming new ideas and solutions. Essentially, you need to create a safe space for experimenting and taking calculated risks.

l  Recognize Achievements: Acknowledge and celebrate your team's achievements and contributions. Know that positive reinforcement boosts morale and motivation.

l  Offer Feedback: Provide constructive feedback regularly, highlighting strengths and areas for improvement. Also, ensure you encourage self-assessment and growth.

l  Support Growth: Identify your team members' career goals and help them develop skills and experiences that align with their aspirations.

l  Promote Collaboration: You need to encourage cross-functional collaboration within your team and with other teams. This is because collaboration often leads to fresh perspectives and problem-solving.

 

Developing Team Members

Here's how you can develop your team members:

 

l  Individual Development Plans: Work with each team member to create personalized development plans. You should also identify their strengths, weaknesses, and areas for growth.

l  Mentoring and Coaching: Make sure you pair team members with mentors or coaches who can provide guidance, share expertise, and offer career advice.

l  Training and Workshops: Provide opportunities for ongoing training and skill development. As a leader, you must be willing to invest in workshops, courses, or certifications relevant to each team member's role.

l  Challenging Assignments: Offer challenging assignments or projects that stretch their capabilities. Because learning usually occurs outside one's comfort zone.

l  Regular Check-Ins: Conduct regular one-on-one meetings to discuss progress, goals, and development plans. Importantly, you should listen to their needs and aspirations.

l  Peer Learning: Encourage team members to learn from each other. Peer-to-peer knowledge sharing can be highly effective.

l  Promote a Learning Culture: Create a culture that values continuous learning and improvement. However, you have to lead by example in your own pursuit of knowledge.

l  Feedback Loops: Establish feedback loops where team members can provide input on their own development and suggest areas for improvement in the team.

l  Performance Reviews: You should conduct comprehensive performance reviews that include discussions on career growth and development opportunities.

l  Recognize Effort: Never forget to recognize and reward team members who actively seek self-improvement and contribute to their own development.

 

Note that empowering and developing team members not only benefits the individuals but also contributes to the overall success of the team and the organization. It fosters loyalty, enhances skills, and ensures the team is well-prepared to tackle future challenges.

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