So far in this Building the Right team series, we have covered intrapersonal skills in Part 1, and in Part 2 we discussed interpersonal skills needed to build a successful team. In the final part of this series, we talk about soft skills that have both intrapersonal and interpersonal aspects.
6. Problem solving
Being able to think on your feet, and to get creative when problems arise are qualities needed for a team to be successful. Being able to analyze, interpret, and evaluate are key components for identifying the root cause of problems. This facilitates being able to quickly assess a situation and come up with solutions. Although in many ways this quality is intrapersonal, the best problem solvers are able to work as part of a team. Even if one person has a solution, getting feedback from team members can make that solution better. Often different people have different pieces of the solution puzzle, so when expanding our team, finding someone who is able to problem solve on their own and collaboratively is a priority.
7. Good leadership
Good leadership means being flexible, decisive, and knowing when you need to intervene and when you can step back. To do these things well requires self-awareness, and attentiveness to team dynamics. There is no one size fits all approach to leadership, so those qualities allow leaders to assess what style of leadership is necessary and to adjust their approach accordingly. For example, if leading a project with a partner organization, the project team will include those in similar or sometimes higher level positions. That means taking on a more collaborative leadership approach, as a top down approach would not be appropriate in that context.
Good leadership intersects with other soft skills like collaboration and active listening, as those skills allow you to work well with other team members, identify when adjustments need to be made, and get the information needed to make good decisions. It also intersects with good time management and problem solving skills, as those qualities are needed to keep the team on track and to ensure that problems are addressed quickly and effectively.
8. Adapting to diversity
Teams consist of diverse groups of people with diverse backgrounds, perspectives, and communication styles. To be adaptable in that context, team members need to be able to have patience for other perspectives, and openness to different approaches, as with having an attitude of learning. This is particularly crucial for organizations with team members, partners, and/or clients who are from another culture. Differing cultures can mean different priorities. By anticipating that participants in an upcoming meeting will have diverse perspectives and priorities, it can allow for planning an agenda that allows more time for exploration and mutual understanding of views. Being able to adapt based on other perspectives and priorities allows us to provide higher quality services to clients and to work more effectively with partners and fellow team members. Especially in a modern global context, where it’s inevitable to be working with someone from a different culture, the ability to navigate that respectfully is indispensable.
In Conclusion
Taking the time to hire people who are not only experts, but possess both good interpersonal and intrapersonal skills, has allowed us to build a high quality team that works well together. For clients benefitting from Lynx services, including Outsourced Accounting, Yardi Help Desk, and Yardi Implementation, they are able to access personnel with those critical soft skills that can be hard to find. Having a work culture that values those skills helps team members to grow in those abilities, and to help develop those skills in other team members.
