Professional and Career Topics

What attributes do you deem important, and what difference have they made? It would be helpful to build a set of characteristics via this forum that can help others meet and exceed their potential. 

In my view, the key attributes of a high-performing team are responsibility, maturity, and a professional attitude.

I once worked in a truly strong team where everyone was fully remote, yet each person delivered their part accurately and communication was clear. It showed me that real performance comes from people's qualities, not from the work format.

On the other hand, I've also been in a weak team that sat together in the same office every day - and physical proximity didn't help at all. Without accountability and engagement, no environment can make a team effective.

So for me, the most important attribute of a high-performing team is a culture of responsibility and the quality of the people themselves.

What attributes do you deem important, and what difference have they made? It would be helpful to build a set of characteristics via this forum that can help others meet and exceed their potential. 

Thanks for sharing your insight and experience. It all resonates with me. From your experience, what drives responsibility? For me, responsibility can be a natural attribute of one's character. Regardless, I think having clarity of the end-in-mind and its value are critical success factors in achieving a culture of responsibility and accountability within a team. 

In my view, the key attributes of a high-performing team are responsibility, maturity, and a professional attitude.

I once worked in a truly strong team where everyone was fully remote, yet each person delivered their part accurately and communication was clear. It showed me that real performance comes from people's qualities, not from the work format.

On the other hand, I've also been in a weak team that sat together in the same office every day - and physical proximity didn't help at all. Without accountability and engagement, no environment can make a team effective.

So for me, the most important attribute of a high-performing team is a culture of responsibility and the quality of the people themselves.

What attributes do you deem important, and what difference have they made? It would be helpful to build a set of characteristics via this forum that can help others meet and exceed their potential. 

What attributes do you deem important, and what difference have they made? It would be helpful to build a set of characteristics via this forum that can help others meet and exceed their potential. 

What attributes do you deem important, and what difference have they made? It would be helpful to build a set of characteristics via this forum that can help others meet and exceed their potential. 

Great discussions. Here is something further I like to add.

High performance connotes some degree of exceptionalism. Exceptional to rise above the average – making a difference of noticeable significance.

In an earlier discussion "Better Teams" – in the Career by Design Forum – I have highlighted an acronym, HIPO (High Potential) individual referring to Dan McCarthy's. It seems the term is also common in HR terminologies.

The risk with HIPOs, may even be with polymaths is – that the initial admiration of their high performance – often turns into low-feeling among colleagues, and team mates – invoking the development of jealousy, resentment, etc.

If a HIPO happens to be a Team-lead – the team performance attains the status of being exceptional. But, here again – continuing efforts to keep up – overtake the team spirit to exhaustion to disapproval.

Perhaps, the above two scenarios are the reasons that led McCarthy to come up with a list of 10 ways an unscrupulous company or management kills a best employee. Perhaps an individualistic mindset – rather than a collective one – adds fuel to such an unscrupulous behavior.

Yet, HR views and sees a HIPO as an asset. Then, the question of how best to appreciate and value a HIPO comes into focus.

--------------------

Dr. Dilip K Barua, PhD

Website Links and Profile

What attributes do you deem important, and what difference have they made? It would be helpful to build a set of characteristics via this forum that can help others meet and exceed their potential. 

Great discussions. Here is something further I like to add.

High performance connotes some degree of exceptionalism. Exceptional to rise above the average – making a difference of noticeable significance.

In an earlier discussion "Better Teams" – in the Career by Design Forum – I have highlighted an acronym, HIPO (High Potential) individual referring to Dan McCarthy's. It seems the term is also common in HR terminologies.

The risk with HIPOs, may even be with polymaths is – that the initial admiration of their high performance – often turns into low-feeling among colleagues, and team mates – invoking the development of jealousy, resentment, etc.

If a HIPO happens to be a Team-lead – the team performance attains the status of being exceptional. But, here again – continuing efforts to keep up – overtake the team spirit to exhaustion to disapproval.

Perhaps, the above two scenarios are the reasons that led McCarthy to come up with a list of 10 ways an unscrupulous company or management kills a best employee. Perhaps an individualistic mindset – rather than a collective one – adds fuel to such an unscrupulous behavior.

Yet, HR views and sees a HIPO as an asset. Then, the question of how best to appreciate and value a HIPO comes into focus.

--------------------

Dr. Dilip K Barua, PhD

Website Links and Profile

What attributes do you deem important, and what difference have they made? It would be helpful to build a set of characteristics via this forum that can help others meet and exceed their potential. 

Donovan, great comments – here are something further pertaining to your's.

This time – I quote Dr. Thomas Chamorro-Premuzic – an organizational psychologist. These quotes including Dan McCarthy's and Mike Figliuolo's (shared earlier) – were in my my lecture notes prepared for my students. Most of it are known to many – nevertheless have a look to refresh.

Thomas Chamorro-Premuzic writes:

Attributes of a Good Team Lead:

• intelligence and understanding of project works.

• open communication with the team members.

• love for team members and appreciation of their contributions.

When a leader has more than 10 reporting to him, things may turn out unmanageable. A leader must delegate part of his responsibility to manage well. He should show empathy, have a good listening habit, be consistent and accountable, be interested in the wellbeing of his personal life, and be committed to learning and growth.

Do not do's:

1. Do not micro-manage. Let the employees feel the freedom to contribute to their best. As a leader, concentrate on developing operational and strategic plan instead.

2. Do not do poor hiring – hire to fill the gap. There are three types of employees: connectors – know who to talk to; movers – know how to run a business with momentum and foresight; and creators – who are visionaries.

3. Do not falter to trust your own decisions. When you doubt yourself, your business will weaken and others will lose trust in you. Therefore work diligently to arrive at your decisions.

4. Do not fail to be open to changes. Leaders who close off to change are the ones that can't adapt, and ultimately fail.

5. Do not be quick to make judgments.

--------------------

Dr. Dilip K Barua, PhD

Website Links and Profile

Great discussions. Here is something further I like to add.

High performance connotes some degree of exceptionalism. Exceptional to rise above the average – making a difference of noticeable significance.

In an earlier discussion "Better Teams" – in the Career by Design Forum – I have highlighted an acronym, HIPO (High Potential) individual referring to Dan McCarthy's. It seems the term is also common in HR terminologies.

The risk with HIPOs, may even be with polymaths is – that the initial admiration of their high performance – often turns into low-feeling among colleagues, and team mates – invoking the development of jealousy, resentment, etc.

If a HIPO happens to be a Team-lead – the team performance attains the status of being exceptional. But, here again – continuing efforts to keep up – overtake the team spirit to exhaustion to disapproval.

Perhaps, the above two scenarios are the reasons that led McCarthy to come up with a list of 10 ways an unscrupulous company or management kills a best employee. Perhaps an individualistic mindset – rather than a collective one – adds fuel to such an unscrupulous behavior.

Yet, HR views and sees a HIPO as an asset. Then, the question of how best to appreciate and value a HIPO comes into focus.

--------------------

Dr. Dilip K Barua, PhD

Website Links and Profile

What attributes do you deem important, and what difference have they made? It would be helpful to build a set of characteristics via this forum that can help others meet and exceed their potential. 

I can follow along with most of what you've said, and can appreciate it all, even I don't agree with all of it (I agree with most of it).

The main crux of my disagreement lies with the following "When a leader has more than 10 reporting to him, things may turn out unmanageable. A leader must delegate part of his responsibility to manage well." In order for a team to perform well, they must trust their leader - that they are going to do what they say are going to do, and that they won't be thrown under the bus. I've found over the years that when we say a leader must delegate their responsibility (or a part of it), what we mean or what we should mean is that we are delegating our authority.

I often remind my team (I am responsible for 12 to 13 engineers and 1 student intern) that I am giving them the authority (to do what they know they need to do, and when they have the ability to follow through), but that I retain the responsibility. This tells them I trust them to do the right thing, but if things go sideways, I will take the heat. This allows them the freedom to push the envelope to deliver projects, and the freedom to fail. (Not without consequence - but without fear of failure. As I also remind them - I expect you to fail from time to time, but we should also learn from that failure. If we don't learn from repeated failures, then we have a problem.)

Donovan, great comments – here are something further pertaining to your's.

This time – I quote Dr. Thomas Chamorro-Premuzic – an organizational psychologist. These quotes including Dan McCarthy's and Mike Figliuolo's (shared earlier) – were in my my lecture notes prepared for my students. Most of it are known to many – nevertheless have a look to refresh.

Thomas Chamorro-Premuzic writes:

Attributes of a Good Team Lead:

• intelligence and understanding of project works.

• open communication with the team members.

• love for team members and appreciation of their contributions.

When a leader has more than 10 reporting to him, things may turn out unmanageable. A leader must delegate part of his responsibility to manage well. He should show empathy, have a good listening habit, be consistent and accountable, be interested in the wellbeing of his personal life, and be committed to learning and growth.

Do not do's:

1. Do not micro-manage. Let the employees feel the freedom to contribute to their best. As a leader, concentrate on developing operational and strategic plan instead.

2. Do not do poor hiring – hire to fill the gap. There are three types of employees: connectors – know who to talk to; movers – know how to run a business with momentum and foresight; and creators – who are visionaries.

3. Do not falter to trust your own decisions. When you doubt yourself, your business will weaken and others will lose trust in you. Therefore work diligently to arrive at your decisions.

4. Do not fail to be open to changes. Leaders who close off to change are the ones that can't adapt, and ultimately fail.

5. Do not be quick to make judgments.

--------------------

Dr. Dilip K Barua, PhD

Website Links and Profile

Great discussions. Here is something further I like to add.

High performance connotes some degree of exceptionalism. Exceptional to rise above the average – making a difference of noticeable significance.

In an earlier discussion "Better Teams" – in the Career by Design Forum – I have highlighted an acronym, HIPO (High Potential) individual referring to Dan McCarthy's. It seems the term is also common in HR terminologies.

The risk with HIPOs, may even be with polymaths is – that the initial admiration of their high performance – often turns into low-feeling among colleagues, and team mates – invoking the development of jealousy, resentment, etc.

If a HIPO happens to be a Team-lead – the team performance attains the status of being exceptional. But, here again – continuing efforts to keep up – overtake the team spirit to exhaustion to disapproval.

Perhaps, the above two scenarios are the reasons that led McCarthy to come up with a list of 10 ways an unscrupulous company or management kills a best employee. Perhaps an individualistic mindset – rather than a collective one – adds fuel to such an unscrupulous behavior.

Yet, HR views and sees a HIPO as an asset. Then, the question of how best to appreciate and value a HIPO comes into focus.

--------------------

Dr. Dilip K Barua, PhD

Website Links and Profile

What attributes do you deem important, and what difference have they made? It would be helpful to build a set of characteristics via this forum that can help others meet and exceed their potential. 

Great discussions. Here is something further I like to add.

High performance connotes some degree of exceptionalism. Exceptional to rise above the average – making a difference of noticeable significance.

In an earlier discussion "Better Teams" – in the Career by Design Forum – I have highlighted an acronym, HIPO (High Potential) individual referring to Dan McCarthy's. It seems the term is also common in HR terminologies.

The risk with HIPOs, may even be with polymaths is – that the initial admiration of their high performance – often turns into low-feeling among colleagues, and team mates – invoking the development of jealousy, resentment, etc.

If a HIPO happens to be a Team-lead – the team performance attains the status of being exceptional. But, here again – continuing efforts to keep up – overtake the team spirit to exhaustion to disapproval.

Perhaps, the above two scenarios are the reasons that led McCarthy to come up with a list of 10 ways an unscrupulous company or management kills a best employee. Perhaps an individualistic mindset – rather than a collective one – adds fuel to such an unscrupulous behavior.

Yet, HR views and sees a HIPO as an asset. Then, the question of how best to appreciate and value a HIPO comes into focus.

--------------------

Dr. Dilip K Barua, PhD

Website Links and Profile

What attributes do you deem important, and what difference have they made? It would be helpful to build a set of characteristics via this forum that can help others meet and exceed their potential.