10 keys to successfully invest in your team

In his book The 17 Laws of Teamwork: Embrace Them and Empower Your Team, John C. Maxwell gives us the keys to successfully build, lead and develop teams that perform. One of the points that I found extremely interesting is that it’s written in a way that is compelling not only from the angle of the team leader, but also from the angle of the team members.

The Law #17 is “THE LAW OF DIVIDENDS: Investing in the Team Compounds Over Time”. John gives us there the 10 steps you can take to invest in your team (whether as the leader or an active, engaged team member):

1. Make the Decision to Build a Team . . . This Starts the Investment in the Team

“Deciding that people on the team are worth developing is the first step in building a better team. That requires commitment.”

To get the best out of your experience in the team, either as the leader or as a member, you need to feel you’re in the right place and that investing your time, resources and energy in the team is worth the efforts. If you don’t have that feeling, if you’re not committed to do such investments, the chances for the team to be successful, and for you to grow within the team, are very thin.

2. Gather the Best Team Possible . . . This Elevates the Potential of the Team

“There’s only one kind of team that you may be a part of where you shouldn’t go out and find the best players available, and that’s family.”

For all the other teams you will work within or lead, recruiting the best candidates to join you in the journey is an essential part of the success of the team. Skills are an important part of the equation, but they are not an absolute requirement. Skills can be learnt, and every position requires a ramp-up period. Personality style, values, attitude and willingness to develop and grow are, in the other side, essential for the success of the team, its leader and all its members. An assessment needs to be done on which skills are a must and which can be learnt on the job or through onboarding training. Putting every person in the right position for success, based on its personality style, can be achieved by working with the DISC model. This is part of the work I do to help leaders, as a John Maxwell Team certified coach and TTI Insight Success ® certified professional.

3. Pay the Price to Develop the Team . . . This Ensures the Growth of the Team

“It will cost you to develop your team. You will have to dedicate time that could be used for personal productivity. You will have to spend money that could be used for personal benefit. And sometimes you will have to set aside your personal agenda. But the benefit to the individuals—and the team—is worth the price.”

There is no secret. Growth and development needs to be intentional and comes at a cost, it’s an investment. And, as financial investments, it requires a long-term view and a carefully planned strategy. Personal development and growth doesn’t happen in a day, it happens daily. There needs to be an agenda, a roadmap for success. As a leader, you need to be clear about what are the investments you must do, and the expected returns for the team. It will help you define when and where to invest. And it will help you guide and coach your team members in their growth plans. [1]

4. Do Things Together as a Team . . . This Provides Community for the Team

“The only way to develop community and cohesiveness among your teammates is to get them together, not just in a professional setting but in personal ones as well.”

This is the power of team building activities. While they are very popular during times of abundance, they are quickly cut-off the schedules when timing or budget is not made available intentionally. Rewarding only the best performers in a team through incentive-based activities (Platinum Club, President’s Club, or others) is a good way to incentivize individuals and boost personal productivity, but it’s not building your team. Team building activities don’t need to be costly off-sites, but rather bond-creating, regular activities that help create that feeling of belonging to the team community.

5. Empower Team Members with Responsibility and Authority . . . This Raises Up Leaders for the Team

“If you are a leader on your team, don’t protect your position or hoard your power. Give it away. That’s the only way to empower your team.”

Shine through your team members. My former manager at Nortel Networks back in 2003, Marc Seguin, was for me a great example of excellence in this area. He gave me the opportunity to represent himself and the team at the Telecom Operators Monthly Business Review for a whole year. Seating in that forum with senior managers, representing our line of business and gaining insight and understanding about the other business lines and the telecom business of Nortel in the region was a fast track for my development, together with the high potential employee program I was part of.

6. Give Credit for Success to the Team . . . This Lifts the Morale of the Team

“Compliment your teammates. Talk up their accomplishments. And if you’re the leader, take the blame but never the credit. Do that and your team will always fight for you.”

Whether you are a member or the leader of the team, praise the accomplishments of others. In addition to create a sense of recognition, it also creates momentum within the team, and for the team within the broader organization. As a leader, learning to take the blame without passing it through, without creating stress “down the chain” to the team members, creates a feeling of security. This keeps encouraging innovative thinking and hard work. My last manager at Oracle, Michael Croney, was for years a great example on these two areas: recognizing achievements publicly and taking the blame when needed while protecting the team. This practice preserved morale in the team in tough times and created a sense of fighting for him in return.

7. Watch to See That the Investment in the Team Is Paying Off . . . This Brings Accountability to the Team

“Some people develop quickly. Others are slower to respond, and that’s okay. The main outcome you want to see is progress.”

There is a time for sowing and a time for reaping. This is also part of the personalized development plan for each team member. Understanding what is expected from me as I develop and showing I can take on higher responsibilities as I move forward helps me keep myself accountable for my own development process and the return on the investment it’s being made on me.

8. Stop Your Investment in Players Who Do Not Grow . . . This Eliminates Greater Losses for the Team

“That is what you must do if someone on your team refuses to grow or change for the benefit of teammates.”

A team needs all its members to play for the team. If someone falls on a performance trap we must coach and help the person to go over and recover. However, it may happen that a team member has priorities and goals that can’t align with those of the rest of the team, and therefore refuses to grow or change for the higher benefit of the team. It may be time for letting the person go, helping her to find the right next move according to the new circumstances.

9. Create New Opportunities for the Team . . . This Allows the Team to Stretch

“That process not only gives the team a chance to grow, but it also benefits every individual.”

New opportunities and challenges are the engine that moves the team level up. There is no such thing as status quo. As this is valid for every individual, it is valid also for the team as an entity. Either you move forward or backwards. Ask yourself often, as member or leader: Is there anything we could or should be doing differently? How could we improve the processes in place? Are there new market opportunities to address by our team, group or the broader organization? How can we expand the team impact?

10. Give the Team the Best Possible Chance to Succeed . . . This Guarantees the Team a High Return

“If you are a team member, that may mean making a personal sacrifice or helping others to work together better. If you are a leader, that means creating an energized environment for the team and giving each person what he needs at any given time to ensure success.”

This requires intentionality and builds up on the momentum created by previous successes. As a leader, fostering such energized environment and providing the support required in every moment to each team member is an art and can never be taken for granted. While team members with higher profile than others may seem to need less attention from you, a regular check-up will ensure that they are still aligned and receiving the needed support.

So, let me ask you this:

• As a leader, what is the growth and development plan for your team and team members? What are the opportunities ahead for the next 12 months, you don’t feel your team is yet equipped to take full advantage of, for the good of the whole team? What are the challenges you foresee you will be facing in the next 12 months, which your team is not prepared to tackle?

• As a team member, what are the opportunities of development for you, other team members and the team, that you foresee? Do you communicate them to your leader? Do you act on them?

Have an intentional day. Grow. Reach your goals. Have an impact. Make a difference.

To your success,

Ezequiel

[1] As an Executive Director of The John Maxwell Team, I have available a number of proofed curriculums and corporate trainings that I can deliver to your organization and that have already been delivered by The John Maxwell Company and The John Maxwell Team to help thousands of professionals working for hundreds of organizations around the world. Some examples include:

• “Living The Laws of Leadership” 2-Day Workshop

• “Coaching For Leaders Skills Transition Program” 6-Week Program

• “Sales Bootcamp – The Maxwell Method of Selling Program” 12-Week Program

• “Speaker Training” 1/2 Day Workshop

• “Maxwell Speakers Club International” 6-12-Month program, which can be created within your company to train your teams

I can also work with you in creating a personalized curriculum for your organization and deliver it or train your internal trainers to deliver it.