The Ideal Team Player
This book was recommended to me at a time when I was wrestling with a hiring decision. Specifically, I felt inclined to hire for ‘potential and fit’ vs ‘skill and experience’ … and I stood alone in that decision. I knew intuitively that I could train someone to attain the skills needed to do the job, and that it’s much harder to mold someone into adopting our culture and performance standards. But I was filled with self-doubt! After reading this book in two days … yes, it’s a page turner and hard to put down … I had my answer!
Lencioni frames it this way ... for organizations seriously committed to making teamwork a cultural reality, then it's essential to hire colleagues that are Humble, Hungry and Smart. And the Ideal Team Player must possess all three. These virtues are defined as follows:
Humble - Great tam players lack excessive ego or concerns about status. They're quick to point out the contributions of others and slow to seek attention for their own. They share credit, emphasize team over self, and define success collectively rather than individually.
Hungry - Great team players are always looking for more. More things to do, more to learn, more responsibility to take on. They almost never have to be pushed by a manager to work harder because they are self-motivated and diligent. They are constantly thinking about the next step and the next opportunity and loathe the idea that they might be perceived as slackers.
Smart - Great team players are interpersonally appropriate and very self-aware. This one requires the most clarification because it is not what it might seem. It is not about intellectual capacity, but rather a person's common sense about people. Smart people know what is happening in a group situation and how to deal with others in the most effective way.
This book served as a 'defining moment' for my leadership team, as I had all of my leaders read this and we adopted this principle immediately. We altered the way we interviewed candidates so we could better assess whether they met these criteria. And we use this framework to assess areas where a particular team member may be struggling. Is it because they don't possess one of these three virtues? If so, then we have something to work with and can tailor the way we address or mentor that team member. It's also a great self-awareness check as well!