Without teamwork, there is no way that the company is going to experience success. In teams, individuals will work together and accomplish a lot more that what they do by themselves.
– Michael Welton (Writer)
Do you agree that teams are only as strong as their members, and that leaders must understand and leverage the value each teammate provides?

Having a team with a diverse set of skills and talents and differing styles and preferences lends itself to accomplishing more. As leaders it’s up to us to understand this and position our teams to succeed.

We have been introduced to a new team tool from PeopleCatalyst that assesses individual style preferences regarding the nature of work roles, skills, talents, and contributions.

The four major team roles are called Shaker, Mover, Prover, and Maker, with one additional and uncommon role of Oner. Below you will find high level descriptions of each role.

1. Shakers are early adopters and are natural thinkers. They like to shake things up with new ideas and easily solve problems by seeing the larger context of a situation. Some of their ideas may seem outlandish, but many are potential home runs. Shakers are the “Power” button on a remote control.

2. Movers are early adopters and are natural doers. They know how to get and keep things moving. These people easily plan how things will get done, choose the best idea, and introduce the right people to each other. Movers are “fast forward” on a remote control.

3. Provers are later adopters and are natural thinkers. Often seen as skeptics by others, they challenge new ideas. Comfortable with proven solutions, these people feel like it’s their duty to warn others about what can go wrong. Provers like to “Rewind” things and go through them again to refine or correct any issues or flaws.

4. Makers are later adopters and are natural doers. As great finishers, they put ideas into action, dotting the i’s and crossing the t’s. Makers honor the details that others miss and would rather do “real” work than sit in meetings. Makers are the “Play” button.

5. Oners are balanced and flexible with the natural ability to act as a Shaker, Mover, Prover or Maker based on the needs.
Note1: It is called this as PeopleCatalyst found that only 1% of the population fit this role.
Note2: It’s not uncommon for a person to be a blend of two styles.

High functioning teams consist of all 4 roles, and if you’re fortunate, also include a “oner”.  Is your team, or are you a member of a team, that lacks any of these roles? 

When you‘re hiring a new team member give thought to where your team may have gaps in team roles and remember that differing styles add value and contribute to achieving success.

Sincerely,

Mike and Jan

None of us is as smart as all of us.
– Ken Blanchard
Tags: