Stop Hiring. Start Repositioning.

Understanding your team. Identifying players

I didn’t grow up playing sports like most millennial kids. I was an A student but not particularly keen to do P.E. In fact, I hated it! Not because I didn’t like the “actual” physical activity, but because I sucked at almost every sport! My head seemed to be a magnet for balls.. volley ball... basket ball.. not to mention the bruises and sprained fingers I got ALL the time! It wasn’t fun to say the least! In fact, when they called to sign up for the school competition, I signed up to be a cheerleader, which my parents really frowned upon.

Later in life, I discovered that I liked single player sports: Track, Judo, Tae-kwondo and such... and I loved it!

But here is the thing, I missed out big time on team based sports. It was not the skill per se that I missed out on. Although partly it is, I still can’t join a beach volley game even if it looks like they are having a blast! However, the big thing I missed was understanding the team dynamics that naturally take place in a good team. “Pass the ball to Doris when she’s approaching the opposite team’s defense side,” “Trust that Jackie, the lead, will take it home.”

These lessons go deeper when you become a coach - if you are a sports fan or player, you know what I’m about to say here.

A coach - a good one - knows that she needs to put the players in the BEST positions they play. Notice that I didn’t say: “put the best players in positions”. Although if you can afford the BEST PLAYERS, please do by all means! For most of us, founders, entrepreneurs, and business owners, we need to be resourceful. We can’t always afford to hire the best player we would like for a position, either for a financial reason or labor market conditions where even those companies that can afford the best have trouble finding the right people. Either way, you are here running your company the best way you can, and you have a number of employees that help you make this work.

These employees are part of your arsenal, and many times we - business owners - fail to act as a sport coach. A sports coach figuring out positions is like solving a puzzle where every piece needs to fit just right.

They’re looking at each player and thinking: “Where will this person shine? Where does the team need them most?” It’s about matching people’s natural strengths to the roles that need filling.

The coach is considering things like:

• Who’s got what skills. Maybe someone’s super fast so they’d be great on the wing, or someone else has amazing hands so they should be the goalkeeper.

• The team’s needs. If they’re weak on defense, they might move a versatile player back there even if they’d prefer to play forward.

• Chemistry and balance. Some players work beautifully together, others clash. The coach is thinking about how different combinations will click on the field.

• Bringing out the best. A good coach knows that putting someone in the right position can make them look like a star, while the wrong spot might leave them struggling.

• The bigger strategy. They’re thinking about the opponents too - what positions and players will give them the best chance to win?

  
  

Understanding both the individual players and how they’ll work together as a whole unit. And yeah, sometimes it means having tough conversations when someone wants to play one position but the team needs them somewhere else! Sound familiar? Replace “positions” with “roles” and you’ve got every business owner’s challenge.

This is so relevant for any business owner and it differentiates a business that does fine from a business that thrives.

Whenever I start working with a new company, my initial process starts with understanding who else is in the team and what are they best at. Some people think that it’s just a matter of creating a beautiful logo and a great website and that the job is done!.. that this should bring in all the sales and new customers. Wrong! A good branding is only the beginning. The real work in taking companies from 2-3% growth to 20-30% and even three figures in growth is how you knit the strategy and align your players. It’s part art, part science.

If you are thinking, how do I even get started? Here’s how you start thinking like a coach:

This week, I want you to do something simple but revealing. Watch your team during the week. Not in a creepy way, but with curiosity. Notice:

• Who lights up when they’re doing what? That’s not just personality - that’s alignment between person and task.

• Who’s constantly frustrated? Often it’s not because they’re bad at their job, but because they’re in the wrong position.

• Who do other team members naturally turn to for specific things? Your team already knows who’s good at what - they’re showing you every day.

  
  

Write down three names and one strength for each person. Not their job title - their actual strength. “Great with difficult customers.” “Spots problems before they blow up.” “Makes everyone around them calmer.”

That’s your starting lineup assessment. You don’t need to change anything yet. Just see what you’re working with through fresh eyes.

Because here’s the thing: You might already have the players you need. They’re just sitting on the bench or playing the wrong position.

I may have missed out on team sports early in life, but I’ve spent over a decade learning what great coaches (bosses, mentors, investors, business partners) already knew: Your job isn’t to have perfect players. It’s to position the players you have perfectly.

If you’ve figured out the secret to positioning your team well - or if you’re struggling with someone who seems great but isn’t performing - hit reply. I learn as much from your stories as you do from mine.

---

This article originally appeared in my newsletter. Subscribe to get insights early

Subscribe Now

Subscribe Now