Remember when you were in high school and became frustrated working on teams selected by a numbering system? Some people understood the project goals and got to work. Others were disruptive, passive-aggressive, quiet, or otherwise in the way. Some simply goofed off.
When this happened tor me, I would come home frustrated and explain my experience to my Dad. He listened patiently, then said, “It’s hard to soar like an eagle when you’re surrounded by turkeys.” So often in life, we are randomly selected to work together. Clearly some people are of the same caliber, while others were not. It is nearly impossible to perform at your highest level when working on teams where everyone is not as capable and a good communicator.
How do you calibrate talent? As the CEO, how do you make sure the team you put together consists of eagles?
Here are 3 steps that help:
- Identify the core values you want your team to share.
- Identify 6 key goals you want to accomplish by adding to your team. Ferret out what accomplishments your candidate needs to have met or exceeded, for example, running a $50 million division versus a $1 billion division.
- Identify 4 key attributes in your current team that makes them successful in your company. For example, how do they manage tough situations? How do they communicate with each other, how action-oriented are they, can they lead with vision? Is there a bias towards execution or building consensus before execution?
A good professional recruiter helps you identify these personal attributes and prioritize them. Armed with this information about your company values, the recruiter can identify and present only candidates who meet or exceed your criteria:
- The recruiter knows people and the entire pool you are looking at. It’s easy for us to calibrate talent. The best recruiters remember great talent and often keep them top of mind.
- Good recruiters then vet people for “fit”. We know whether someone will work well with you, and only send the right people your way.
Feel free to reach out to us, if you would like our assistance in calibrating talent for your executive teams.
