Creating a Rock Star Team

Have you ever enjoyed the sounds of a rock and roll band? Would you like to have a team that performed as well as your favorite band? With the five tips below you can be on way to creating that rock star team.

Have a clear vision and purpose. The band needs to know the style and flavor of the music. They need to know what separates them from other bands. Your team needs to know exactly why they exist, too. What is their goal? What purpose does the team play in the project, organization, or for the Customer? You, as the leader must know the answers to these questions, and more importantly, the team must see, understand and agree with this direction and purpose. Without this alignment there will be struggles, frustration, and a lack of harmony.

Recruit star players / Find your team’s star power. When bands change members they try to bring in the best possible singers or musicians they can. They know that the best bands have great individual performers. The same is true for you – when you need to hire or add to your team, add the best players you can! If you have an existing team, don’t despair. As a leader it is your opportunity (and responsibility if you accept it) to help your current players see their potential. Chances are they have the potential to be rock stars somewhere – and if that is as a part of your team, they must see if before they can be it.

Help the team know their strengths and the strengths of others. Rock bands grow to know the strengths of each player so they can rely on those strengths when needed in an individual song or portion of the performance. Do you know the strengths of your team members? Do they see their own strengths? Once these two answers are “yes,” then you need to help the whole team recognize their individual strengths so they can be capitalized on by the full team.

Let people play to their strengths. The best rock bands have songs or segments of songs where the different members get to be the star. Whether a drum or guitar solo or solo vocal, the best bands use those strengths appropriately and regularly. Having people know each other’s strengths isn’t enough – those strengths must be used. Help your team use the strengths of each other to mutual benefit.

Let them be stars. Can a rock band have multiple stars? Of course they can! While there will be a leader of the band, they don’t have to be the star, and often aren’t. The bands that make the biggest impact and last the longest, allow individuals to play starring roles – and aren’t jealous of the stardom. Are you ready to let your team members be the stars? Are you ready to help the team succeed, even if it diminishes your personal star power? If you want to be more than a one-hit wonder, you have to let the team members be the stars.

Building a great team will take time and it requires that all the members want to be a part of the team. Given those caveats, turn on the tunes and think about how you can apply these tips to help your team create more hits.

Rock on!

photo credit ValetheKid