Brett Favre was a gifted football player. His ability to see the field and know exactly how to react to each situation not only resulted in wins but made everyone around him better.
Like Brett Favre good managers get the most out of their team by understanding the situation and knowing how to react. But what drives the reaction? Is it the situation or some other factor that results in a “business win”?
A key to getting the most out of your staff or putting them in a position to help your team win is to maximize their contribution by understanding their behavior style and coaching them for success. Whether a driver, analytical, amiable or expressive each of us has the ability to contribute in our own way to the important work of the organization. Make sure your “team” is well balanced with each of these styles and you have taken an important step in accomplishing your win or achieving the goals of your project. Play to their strength. Give the analytical the time they need and charge them with the responsibility for the key data. Use the amiable to ensure that the group dynamics are working. A happy motivated team will move mountains. Amiables serve a useful purpose by ensuring that the group’s needs are met. An expressive will provide the energy for the project. Typically, capable of cutting through the myriad of details to see whats most important, expressive types are key to keeping things moving. Don’t ask them (or challenge them) for the details. They may know them, but they serve great value in the “color and enthusiasm they can bring to a project. Lastly the driver. They are built to make decisions. Give them options surrounded by facts and they will help evaluate the risks associated with each option and make a decision. Drivers can be persuaded to “change their mind”. Is this because they have evaluated the options poorly? No, to the contrary they have evaluated each option and the risk associated with each. Direction is about managing the downside...the risk associated with failure. Like Brett Favre, drivers understand the situation and know how to react based on the “field of play”.
Understand and find the balance in your team as a first start for success.