There’s no ‘I’ in team!
I’m not that interested in football, my team will tell you that I watch it with them under sufferance but I accept that it’s an integral part of this, and many other, nations national identity. I know enough (just) to hold a brief conversation but I’m not going to indulge in lengthy discussions on which formation the teams are using.
I have, however, watched the Euros with some interest and I’ve learned a lot from both the teams and the fans and I’ve found myself applying it to business.
At Hasson Associates we have two distinct sets of clients; the people who we find jobs for, these are people we work with throughout their careers, and then the clients, those who employ those candidates.
These two groups are our brand ambassadors. I like to think of them, in a Euro context, as our fans (not bottle throwing types but the happy, dancing variety). They show off the best of us and illustrate to the community who we are. They are the very public face of our success.
We aim to work with the very best clients and candidates, and the greatest endorsement for our service are the people whose careers and businesses are better for their relationship with Hasson Associates.
Our candidates, once placed in the right company, grow their career and help clients build their business and that reflects well on us.
Our clients illustrate to our candidates that we can provide them with strong careers in great companies who look after their staff and nurture and develop them.
Then there is the team, we have seen some amazing scenes in this tournament. Even I, football cynic that I am, can see that.
The team work that we see in sport is incredible, it has to be for any success and that’s why sports stars go on to be great motivational speakers.
Whether that’s the rowers pulling together to cross the line, the football team picking up that cup after a penalty shootout, the cricket team scoring runs or the swimmers in a relay all with different strokes but one thing in mind, winning.
A team has one collective goal and whilst each person on the team may have individual duties and tasks, the whole team takes responsibility for themselves and each other if they are to put in a winning performance.
So when you are hiring for your business don’t look at that one position in isolation – look at the whole team. What do you need – a coach, a cheerleader, a technician, a closer? Look beyond the skills to the qualities of the person and imagine them in your team. How will they fit, are they the strong full back you need or the chippy cox that’s going to motivate the rowers, will they contribute to that collective goal?
Get the team involved in the process where appropriate, they might see something that you missed.
A team is only as strong as its weakest member so be sure that you have the right team from the start and that everyone works together to achieve your common goal.