Team Building
Between the given two cards and the river, it is the poker player’s job to procure the best hand possible. This is somewhat similar to putting together a team; only in this case, the “cards” can change and develop into better “cards” to form an overall better “hand.”
I look for primarily three things in individuals when forming any given team: Competence, credibility, and the pursuit of truth. If they are competent, I know that they know, or at least have some idea, what to do in times of ambiguity or stress. This becomes quickly evident in open conversation and getting to know the person. I look for credibility because I need to be able to believe in my team mates and know that they are not just slinging ideas, and that they have some proven ability to take on difficult tasks. Credibility is a necessary skill in most situations, especially when the task involves dealing with other people, and this also becomes quickly evident in open conversation simply based on my gut instinct when talking to the person. If they can handle a conversation with me and I can fire off questions and they can fire off convincing answers right back, they have credibility. The reason for this is, I need to know that my teammates can handle themselves in consequential situations. The last thing I look for is pursuit of truth. This can also become evident in conversation with the right questions. As you learn the person’s intentions and motivations, you get to know what their mindset is, what they care about, and what guides them. This tells the story of the individual and from this I can know whether or not that individual is centered and focused on what matters, and whether they are aligned with me in my pursuit of truth, or do they have some separate dogma guiding them.
Each of these things become evident in conversation because to converse with someone well, one needs to be able to think quickly, act on instinct, and speak freely. And if one can do that well, with the right instincts, the right trajectory of thought, and right conduct, then they are likely going to be fine teammates. They say, when a person speaks, they give themselves out. I wholeheartedly agree with this perspective.
If there are more things to consider or the process is longer, I next take a look at their written work. The quality of their writing tells the quality of their thought, as writing is simply the extension of thinking. If they can think, they are useful assets and potentially great team members.
After finding the team, the next steps are to get to know each person well, understand their strengths and weaknesses and values and concerns. Understanding this can help in delegating and/or dealing with that person later. After that, it’s up to the specifics of the task at hand.
