You cannot build a strong organisation without a strong team. You cannot build a strong team without building the individuals within the team. Ask the individual team members the following:
1. What their main challenge is (Problem).
2. What they need in order to perform (Need).
3. What their passion is (Passion).
4. What you can provide (Solution).
The chart above has helped me to quickly assess where a team member is at. You might find it overly simplistic, but I like simple. I believe simple can help us leaders to unclutter, to see clearly beyond the mess and focus on the results we are looking for.
Let's look into the four categories;
Problem - When you detect a problem (e.g. poor performance) within a team you've got to act immediately. You just cannot afford to ignore the issue and expect it to go away. It won't! The longer you take the more the problem will grow and spread among the team. So write the main problem on this part of the chart.
Need - Is the problem caused by a particular need (e.g. training). Assess the need by asking direct questions (e.g. what do you think your primary need is?). Also assess past performance to detect the need.
Passion - Do you know what your team member is passionate about? This part of the chart should be revealing something to you. Is the person in the right role? Perhaps his dreams are different to what he is doing at the moment. People will flourish when they start doing what they love. After discussing the topic add your team member's passion to this part of the chart.
Solution - This is your chance to write down a solution in order to move your team member forward. Take this opportunity to describe what is required from you and your team member in order to achieve results. Be concise and clear - I've found that too much information tends to get people confused.
The chart above can also be used in interviews, appraisals, coaching and informal meetings. If you want to zero in on a problem, focus, think, develop and provide clear solutions with clear instructions, why not give the above development chart a try and let me know if it worked for you too.
Keep it simple!
