The Ideal Team Player

Favorite Ideas

• Lencioni's fable follows Jeff, a Silicon Valley tech startup co-founder turned small business consultant, whose life changes with an unexpected opportunity from his uncle Bob. Bob wants Jeff to run the company when he retires in a couple of years, and Jeff accepts. Jeff gets up to speed with how things run at the company, and everything is going smoothly.
• Until one day, Uncle Bob lets Jeff know that the company has accepted two large contracts that it does not have the staff to fulfill - and for legal reasons, they can't back out of either job. The company must hire 100 employees in the next couple of months in order to meet their capacity needs. Already, the company is facing issues with its staff and projects, largely due to issues among some of the managers. Jeff worries about how they will hire and retain enough quality teammates to complete the projects.
• Then, Uncle Bob tells Jeff that he is facing serious health issues and must step away from the business to get treatment and recover. Jeff suddenly becomes the CEO.
• The other two executives, Claire and Bobby, are supportive of Jeff and more than willing to help him navigate the hiring challenges ahead. The three colleagues (and friends, as the fable tells) evaluate internal employees as well as potential candidates, talking through their ideas about how to identify someone who will work well on their team.
• Throughout their adventures, they identify 3 key characteristics of someone who works well on a team:
  1. Hungry: A teammate who is willing to put in extra effort to accomplish team objectives
  2. Humble: A teammate who does not have a huge ego
  3. Smart: Not "Book Smart" - This is a teammate who is people smart and is nice to interact with
• An Ideal Team Player has all 3 of these virtues. Teammates who do not have all 3 may have a hard time working at a company whose values incorporate this model, and will face challenges unique to their combination of the virtues. Someone who is lacking in one of the areas can certainly grow and improve if they are willing and have teammates willing to support their development.
• Teams can improve their ability to hire ideal team players by asking questions that point the candidate towards a specific trait.
  • Listen to the stories a candidate shares in a behavioral interview.
  • Do they share stories of accomplishments with their team?
  • Do they seem to enjoy a challenge and feel passionate about the company's mission?
  • Do you enjoy talking to the person?