We have recently been discussing two principle responsibilities of leadership: selecting people to join our team, and routinely evaluating each team member’s performance going forward from the date of hire.
We have regularly coached through eight key characteristics for selection and evaluation of personnel over the past couple of decades. The eight attributes consist of 5 character attributes: Available, Faithful, Teachable, Enjoyable, Responsible; and 3 technical capabilities: Administrative, Communication, and Technical skills. In a previous installment, we discussed the first two attributes: Available and Faithful.
This week we are providing a bit more detail on the third attribute: Teachable.
The core aspect of being teachable regards ascertaining whether or not the candidate/ staff member is open to feedback. We are all growing continuously. Every person has notable strengths as well as flat-sides where growth can continue. It is important that each person on our team be approachable and non-defensive; willingness to learn is an essential quality for members of a winning team.
Another benchmark to determine if the team member is teachable: Are they open to change? Business and organizational climates do not remain stagnant. The ability to adapt to evolving market conditions is in fact essential for any enterprise that desires to stay on the cutting edge of their industry. A successful team member simply must be willing and able to change when necessary; and they need to remain aware of areas where they can continue with their own professional growth.
In Stevens Covey’s famous self-help book, The 7 Habits of Highly Effective People, an entire chapter is devoted to the habit he refers to as, “Sharpen the Saw.” In simplified terms, he is referring to a person who remains teachable. This is therefore an essential quality to affirm with potential and existing team members.
Teachable: open to feedback, non-defensive; open to change, and committed to personal growth. Together with the other 7 criteria this quality is a useful gauge for measuring the potential or actual effectiveness of a member of the team.
In the weeks ahead we will continue to discuss each of the remaining attributes and technical capabilities listed above. We have found that this comprehensive set of metrics continues to constitute a very effective and yet simple methodology for assessing candidates for employment and then, for those who are hired, evaluating their on-going performance.