Select the Right Team Members to Improve Performance

Who should be on the Team?  Is this a contentious issue in your organization?  Or is it something that never comes up for discussion?  Either way, you may have some unaddressed issues with who is on what team.

Let’s look at both sides of the coin: Why leaders end up with the wrong team, and What are the right things to consider when selecting team members.

Why leaders end up with the wrong team members:

  • Hierarchy: On the team because of title.
  • History: The leader takes the team for granted and never thinks about changing the team members.
  • History: On the team because they used to be a critical member of the team.
  • Politics: On the team because they were good at background lobbying.
  • Over Inclusive: On the team because it is too large a team – a poor attempt at inclusiveness.
  • Inertia: Too difficult to make a change; a potential emotional nightmare to remove or change people on the team.

What are the right things to consider when selecting team members?

  • Right skills and knowledge to contribute to the mission and purpose of the team.  Determine missing skills, knowledge and competencies when selecting a new member.
  • Diverse team members to allow for a wide range of perspectives.  
  • Demonstrated teamwork capabilities and committed to the team’s purpose
  • A total number of team members that makes sense.  Do not make a team too large just to be inclusive.

The above points may seem self evident, but many teams have not been put together with as much conscious thought as is required to create a team that can consistently deliver on the team’s mandate.  Teams can be the greatest assets of an organization, or they can be the biggest time drain. Take the time to look at the teams in your organization and consider what improved performance might come with some team member adjustments.

Sources:  Ruth Wageman: 6 Conditions of Team Effectiveness – Podcast