It’s unbelievable how a story you hear as a child can be a lasting inspiration. My inspiration comes from the New Testament story of leveraging talents.

During Bible class at my elementary school, the Pastor told the story of the three servants who were all given talents by their boss. For the record, in ancient times, this was a coin. When this boss returns from his trip, he wants to hear what his servants did with their talents. The first put his talents in the ground, afraid of losing them, so they stuck with just one. The second received two and, by investing, made four of them. The last servant got five talents, and he managed to double it. Of course, it is only a biblical story when punishments are involved. So, the servant who had buried his talent had to hand it over to the servant who now had ten. The moral of the story is to let your talents proliferate, invest in them, have faith in your qualities, and let them come to full maturity.

The Pastor told the story.

I can still see myself sitting in the classroom. The Pastor visited every two weeks on Fridays to tell a story about church, faith, or the Bible. That alone was very new and impressive to me. The Pastor was an excellent storyteller with a beautiful voice and intonation, so maybe that’s why it impressed me so much. The message was clear to me, and I took it with me. Doing my best myself was the first elaboration. Not that this meant I was necessarily an exemplary student, no. But I knew that by working hard at something, I could improve at what I was doing.

Putting team members in their power.

What I didn’t know then, but now I do, is that one of my talents is that in teams, I can put people in the right place and turn a group of people into a whole. Putting the right place means looking carefully at their qualities and putting the person or player in a place that may be new to them. This gives them the confidence and support to see that this choice makes sense and is right for them. During my active career, we also said to put people in their best position or at their strengths. That means that sometimes you have to dare something, and sometimes you must leave things as they are.

How do you turn a group of people into a team?

It starts with taking responsibility for this and accepting the consequences of my choices. I also divide my attention, treat everyone as equal, and make clear agreements that we all keep. From there, we start setting goals, sharing responsibilities, implementing ownership, learning together, and getting better.

A framework for team building.

You can use this framework to build a team. Building an effective team requires careful planning and communication. Follow these steps:

1. Identify required skills. Determine the necessary skills and expertise, including both hard and soft skills. Use this assessment to place people in the right places.
2. Recruit or select the right people. Look for individuals with complementary skills and a cultural fit that aligns with your values and the team.
3. Create a safe environment that empowers cooperation. Define roles and responsibilities, encourage open communication, and build trust among team members.
4. Establish Effective Leadership. A strong leader should guide, motivate, and support the team effectively. Make sure that leadership is present in all team members.
5. Provide resources and tools, and find ways to train your team. Equip your team with the necessary resources, establish a communication framework, and train their skills.
6. Encourage team development. Offer training and mentorship opportunities and celebrate achievements to boost morale.
7. Monitor progress and adapt. Track progress toward goals and be flexible in making adjustments as needed.
8. Foster a positive team culture. Promote respect and inclusivity and encourage collaboration and recognition of successes.

Following these steps will help you build an effective, engaged, and motivated team. Each team member should feel like a valuable contributor to the collective success. For more information, please read the Superteams magazine.

Can anyone do this?

Of course, however, that also depends on your talent. It also depends on your ability and willpower to persevere and remain consistent when challenged. In any case, the superteams magazine gives valuable tools to get you a long way.

Building a team is what I accomplish with my built-in autopilot!

A vital part of the team-building process is learning and growing together so that both the team and the team members become better at what they do. I always enjoy it intensely when I manage to do this again. And if you want or need, I can help you. I am happy to do so. Just send me an e-mail. 🙂