Organizations and companies cannot succeed without effective team members.
Behind every excellent project is a high-performing team. Leadership entails making sure you have strong team members you can count on at all times. Managing projects can be challenging, but having awesome people on your team can make things easier.
Recruiting good team members can be difficult, so how do you go about it? Is it better to follow your gut feelings or rely on your skills alone?
To answer that question, let’s first identify the key characteristics of an effective team member.
Qualities of Excellent Team Members
Organized and knowledgeable
Having basic knowledge of project management principles is a requirement, but your team does not necessarily have to be experts. Taking advantage of basic tactics and tools is part of this process.
It is also important to choose members who are highly organized. People who are organized have the ability to work efficiently even when they are under a lot of pressure.
Good communicators
Team members must be able to express themselves clearly, honestly, and respectfully. As well as understanding instructions and solving problems, they must be good listeners. Remember that miscommunication can halt the progress and even the success of a project.
It is also important to hire people who can take constructive criticism without taking it personally. A team that isn’t open to feedback will not grow and improve.
Cooperative
A great employee assists and helps his or her colleagues. Their cooperative nature allows them to solve problems together.
In addition, it is best to have people who are willing to share their knowledge and experience with you. Employees who are selfless can play an important role in improving the capabilities and skills of their colleagues.
Flexible
It is sometimes necessary for a team to try out new ideas, tools, or directions in order to thrive. This is why it is important to have team members who are capable of adapting to ever-changing conditions in order to ensure success. Those who complain and resist change will cripple the team and cause it to stagnate and will prevent it from progressing.
Reliable and committed
It is essential that your members are always reliable in order to meet the commitments you have made as an organization. It is here that commitment comes into play. A team member who is committed to the team is one who consistently shows up, completes his or her tasks, and motivates the rest of the team to do the same.
Engaged
The best team players are the ones who are engaged in their work. In addition to participating in team meetings, they also participate in discussions in which their ideas are shared. They do not hesitate to volunteer for assignments and they are more than willing to step up when necessary when the situation calls for it.
Tips for Choosing Team Members
Define the needs of the project
Defining the skills and qualities that are required to make your project successful should be the first step in forming your team before you begin recruiting.
In the case of a construction project, for example, you will need a team of individuals who are knowledgeable and experienced in this field of study in order to be successful.
In order to be able to find the right candidate for the job, you must define the objectives of the project and the nature of each task. It is important that you have the right people in your team, in order to be able to assure each one of them that they will be able to contribute to the success of the project.
Assess and Interview
Having identified the crucial skills your project requires, you can now search for potential candidates who possess those skills. You need to search through your network, request referrals from your peers, or make use of hiring platforms to find candidates. There are some modern personality tests that you can use if you don’t have much time to scan resumes or if you don’t know what to do with them.
It is also important to conduct interviews since they are helpful in determining whether the person you are hiring is the right one for the job. By using them, you can identify and validate important information about a person, such as their qualifications and backgrounds. Furthermore, you will be able to get a good idea of how confident, motivated, and competitive the candidate is through these tests
In the event that you need to conduct an interview for a remote team, you can still conduct it in a very smooth and efficient manner. Take advantage of tools like Skype, Zoom, or UberConference in order to schedule a video conference.
Clarify the team’s goals and your expectations
Your team members need to understand the goals they have to meet in order to succeed, as well as their roles within the team. Clearly defining their responsibilities, the nature of the project, and your expectations are crucial to getting the job done successfully.
You should take some time to sit down with each member of the team and go over what they need to do as well as what you expect from them. As a result, you will be able to ensure that everyone is striving for the same goal and that everyone is on the same page.
Follow your gut, but not entirely
There are several reasons why it is not always helpful or fair for employers to pay attention to gut instincts during a hiring process, according to the book “Gut Feelings: The Intelligence of the Unconscious”. As a result of gut feelings, your brain can process information quickly and can make a good or a bad judgment, depending on how you interpret it.
There is a fine line between combining logic and gut feeling when it comes to choosing a team member. Research your candidate’s background, skill set, and experience before deciding whether or not to hire them. I would suggest that you speak to a former employer or a former team member if at all possible. It is also possible to conduct job simulation activities as a way to learn. There are a few strategies that you can use to help you determine if a potential employee will be a good fit for your company.
As part of the hiring process, it is also a good idea to let other people know what you intend to hire. Your co-founder, business partner, or current team members may be able to assist you with this process. The input you receive from them will help you come up with a fair and effective decision for your company.
In Conclusion
Balance is one of the most important aspects when it comes to building a team. A little gut instinct won’t hurt, but you also have to consider the candidate’s data, work ethic, and skills. Ensuring that your team members’ skill sets complement each other is common sense, but a little overlap can go a long way, especially during emergencies. By keeping these important factors in mind when building an organization, you will be able to achieve great results and have a truly effective team.
At Valens Project Consulting, we’ve been curating team members for years. Feel free to reach out to us to learn how the tips above can make your organization more effective and profitable by booking your free operational efficiency assessment with us!
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