How does your team stack up?

Are they a little below par? Is morale a little low, some not performing, some just not happy or some stirring the pot? Or do you have some amazing people who just do it… well at least that is what it looks like from your point of view?

Here is a great matrix in which you can plot your team members – it encourages you to assess them based on their ability to do the job and how well they seem to fit in.

The vertical axis measures the Culture Fit – or how well the team member embraces the culture and values of your organisation. Do they get what you do and why you do it? Are their personal values aligned with the corporate values?

The horizontal axis measures the Skill Fit – do they have the skills, abilities and knowledge to carry out their current role?

Let’s take a look at the four sectors.

STARS – they have a high culture fit and they have the skills to do the job – they are your stars. They thrive in their work environment –they feel comfortable because their values and beliefs are validated in the workplace culture.

TRAINEES – These are team members who have high culture fit and low skills – they are your trainees – they get what you do, they want to be there – they just need to be trained – and they are worth the investment.

TERMITES – this is where you will find those who have a low culture fit and high skills – now these team members are generally high maintenance and exhibit values which are less than ideal – often they are making a lot of noise and your team are wondering why, given your values are so important, that they are still working for you. Remember culture is caught not taught and it is the culture that is being shouted the loudest that will be caught. Sometimes called termites –these people are eating away at your culture. Often I find that there is a continuous cost v benefit analysis going on – they are so good at what they do but they are also very disruptive.

? – People with low culture fit and low skills are plotted here. You might ask – they are working for me, because? Now, they are sometimes relatives. But, if they are paid because of your charitable nature – then they should not be assessed as a team member or plotted in this matrix.

TAKE ACTION!

Plot each of your team – it will give you a higher level view of your people and most importantly the process provides insights and opportunities to develop an even better team – it is very powerful and often does not take long to do, because you know what your expectations are around the skill set required and you are also clear on what behaviours you expect to see.

… AND ASK YOURSELF

• Could your team members accurately plot themselves in the matrix?
• Do they understand the business culture well enough to be able to assess whether they exhibit like values and appropriate behaviours?

If not, then you may need to do some work on articulating your culture and values.

• Do they know how well they are doing their job?

If not, perhaps the job descriptions and the performance reviews need improvement and to be better communicated.

This CULTURE SKILL MATRIX is a very simple but effective tool – the results are often surprising. The process may bring to light that your culture is not clear and your skills assessment processes need work – this alone is a great outcome. But, remember it is a high level tool and often the starting point to a more in depth assessment. It’s a great tool to use for your own business, or if you work with clients – it will be invaluable to use with them too.

We can help you with this activity and help you build an even better team – simply contact us today for an obligation free chat.

To download a FREE copy of the Culture Skill Matrix (valued at $197!)