The Ideal Team Player: How to Recognize and Cultivate The Three Essential Virtues (J-B Lencioni Series)

by Patrick Lencioni

“What is the hardest you've ever worked on something in your life?

“What do you like to do when you're not working?

“Did you work hard when you were a teenager?

“What kinds of hours do you generally work?

Smart

“How would you describe your personality?

“What do you do that others in your personal life might find annoying?

“What kind of people annoy you the most, and how do you deal with them?

“Would your former colleagues describe you as an empathic person?” or “Can you give me an example of how you've demonstrated empathy to a teammate?

Candidate References

Put the Reference Provider at Ease

Look for Specifics

Focus on Areas of Doubt

Pay Attention to References Who Don't Respond

Ask What Others Would Say

Application #2: Assessing Current Employees

(1) confirming that the employee is an ideal team player, (2) helping the employee improve and become one, or (3) deciding to move the

employee out.

Manager Assessment

Humble

Does he genuinely compliment or praise teammates without hesitation? Does she easily admit when she makes a mistake? Is he willing to take on lower-level work for the good of the team? Does she gladly share credit for team accomplishments? Does he readily acknowledge his weaknesses? Does she offer and receive apologies graciously?

Hungry

Does he do more than what is required in his own job? Does she have passion for the “mission” of the team? Does he feel a sense of personal responsibility for the overall success of the team? Is she willing to contribute to and think about work outside of office hours? Is he willing and eager to take on tedious and challenging tasks whenever necessary? Does she look for opportunities to contribute outside of her area of responsibility?

S...

Does he seem to know what teammates are feeling during meetings and interactions? Does she show empathy to others on the team? Does he demonstrate an interest in the lives of teammates? Is she an attentive listener? Is he aware of how his words and actions impact others on the team? Is she good at adjus...

Employee Self-Assessment

Instructions: Use the scale below to indicate how each statement applies to your actions on the team. Respond as honestly as possible, as this will allow you to most accurately identify any areas of development that you may have. Scale: 3 = Usually 2 = Sometimes 1 = Rarely Humble My teammates would say: ______ 1. I compliment or praise them without hesitation. ______ 2. I easily admit to my mistakes. ______ 3. I am willing to take on lower-level work for the good of the team. ______ 4. I gladly share credit for team accomplishments. ______ 5. I readily acknowledge my weaknesses. ______ 6. I offer and accept apologies graciously. ______ Total Humility Score Hungry My teammates would say: ______ 7. I do more than what is required in my own job. ______ 8. I have passion for the “mission” of the team.

______ 9. I feel a sense of personal responsibility for the overall success of the team. ______ 10. I am willing to contribute to and think about work outside of office hours. ______ 11. I am willing to take on tedious or challenging tasks whenever necessary. ______ 12. I look for opportunities to contribute outside of my area of responsibility. ______ Total Hunger Score Smart My teammates would say: ______ 13. I generally understand what others are feeling during meetings and conversations. ______ 14. I show empathy to others on the team. ______ 15. I demonstrate an interest in the lives of my teammates. ______ 16. I am an attentive listener. ______ 17. I am aware of how my words and actions impact others on the team. ______ 18. I adjust my behavior and style to fit the nature of a conversation or relationship. ______ Total Smart Score

A score of 18 or 17 is an indication that the virtue is a potential strength. A score range of 16 to 14 is an indication that you most likely have some work to do around that virtue to become an ideal team player. A score of 13 or lower is an indication that you need improvement around that virtue to become an ideal team player.

A Gentler Approach: Ranking

team members to simply rank the three virtues for themselves, starting with the one they feel they demonstrate most clearly, followed by the second, and then the third. This allows everyone to call out their relative weakness without having to admit the extent of that weakness,

Peer Evaluations versus Peer Discussion

I believe that the most powerful activity that occurs around any assessment is peer discussion. Sitting down as a group and having teammates reveal and discuss their own relative weaknesses related to humble, hungry, and smart is a powerful way to ensure that all of this will lead to change and that teammates will be one another's best coaches.

Application #3: Developing Employees Who Are Lacking in One or More of the Virtues

What Is the Key to Making Development Work? And What Do You Do If It Doesn

Developing Humility

Identifying Root Causes

Exposure Therapy

Leader Modeling

Developing Hunger

Passion for the Mission and the Team

Clear Expectations

Not-Too-Gentle Reminders

Encouragement

Leader Modeling

Developing Smarts

Basic Training

Application #4: Embedding the Model into an Organization's Culture

Be Explicit and Bold

Catch and Revere