If You Think You Really Know Your Team, Don’t Read This

Most sales leaders think they know the people on their team.

Jeff is a New York Giants fan. Anna is from a midwest town near where you grew up. You and Diego are still hanging on to that time your team won the company scavenger hunt and Alex has a golden retriever that always joins 1:1s. You and the team even have a slack channel where you discuss tv shows you’re all watching and talk shit about marketing together!

Don’t get me wrong this sounds like an awesome team and I feel Jeff’s pain but when it comes to getting to know their team, most leaders stop here.

This is surface level. It’s great for team morale, but it won’t help leaders empower their team.

I used to think building rapport was good enough. When I first moved into a leadership role, I took over a team that I was previously a part of. Obviously I knew the people on my team as coworkers but suddenly I was responsible for their success. It was not enough to know what kind of music they liked or what their favorite lunch spot was. I needed to know how to empower them.

To do this, I created a template that I still use today. I’ll even include a link for you to download it yourself along with examples!

“Jake, I don’t have time to do this!”

“Jake, I want less work not more work!”

I know, I know but hear me out…give it a try for the next 3-10 years and if it doesn’t make you a better leader, you don’t have to use the template anymore.

For every employee that I am responsible for I write out the following:

Current Role

Include start date and any roles they’ve also done at the company if applicable.

Aspiring Role

Be extra careful not to make assumptions here. Remember not all SDRs want to become AEs and not all individual contributors want to become managers. It is also ok if the employee isn’t sure what they want to do next. The goal is to communicate that you are thinking about helping them get to the next level.

Strengths

What are they the best at? What makes them the best? You are not looking for answers like, “they hit their target every month.” Sure, that is a pretty damn good strength especially in these times but we’re looking for something deeper.

• Is this employee an excellent writer?
• Are they a product expert?
• Are they constantly looking for new ways to get better?

Challenge yourself to identify these strengths. The key to being great at something is truly understanding what makes you great. A lot of employees don’t always have a grasp on this. As a leader, you want to not only identify their strengths but work with them to develop their powers further.

Areas To Improve

Similar to the strengths, be specific. Don’t think of these areas as weaknesses. This is something the employee is actively trying to get better at. An example would be a seller that needs to cut down the amount of words they use while explaining the solution. I would write down, “become more concise.”

You want to track these things for two reasons. The first is to identify places where you can help them improve and the second is to understand if the employee is making strides.

How They Like To Be Led

• Do they like to be challenged?
• Do they need consistent feedback?

Remember, if you can’t articulate this, it’ll be even harder to lead them.

Drivers/Motivators

Think of things outside of money and promotions. Are they competitive? Do they like recognition? Does the fire come from within or do they need a little push?

Latest Feedback I Gave

Include the date. Most leaders struggle to even give feedback let alone track it. Use this as an opportunity to see your feedback over time and how the employee responded.

Will Leave The Company Because…

This might sound negative but it will force you to think of anything that might make them unhappy. Not everything is controllable but you will at least be able to get in front of any potential issues.

The goal is to update this document when anything changes. I find it’s best to spend a few minutes after 1:1s. This exercise forces me to really think about the people on my team in a meaningful way. While I don’t share the document with the employee, it shapes the way I empower them. It allows me to understand how I can deliver leadership that is tailored to each employee.