What makes the perfect "team member"?

Standards Apply. When those you work with share the passion they have in a way that elevates the performance of those closest to them, that’s when you have yourself a valuable member of your team. On today’s episode, Access EForms COO Davin Marceau sits down with Cody Strate, VP of Strategic Initiatives and VP of Sales Mike Kelley. See more from Access EForms below: SHOW NOTES: (1:15) How do you determine what makes the perfect team member? (1:34) VP of Strategic Initiatives Cody Strate talks through the challenges of working through your day and when you surround yourself with folks that are just like you, it may fuel your ego, just not help you accomplish all of your initiatives. Do not underestimate the value of diversity of thought when it comes to evaluating your team. (2:52) COO Davin Marceau communicates how difficult that can be to create an environment to challenge leadership to be open? (3:55) VP of Strategic Initiatives Cody Strate freely share their thoughts and opinions, by humbling yourself to know the characteristics needed in your team and what you bring to the table. (4:33) Incumbent to being the strongest behind-the-scenes, even so far as to encourage his staff to be better and challenge him to “manage his manager”. If everything is always perfect, then you can ascertain that something really is wrong, folks aren’t willing to share authenticity. (6:36) Core values, guide your willingness to listen to other folks. (7:11) Having a high standard of performance, effectively raises the level of performance of those around you. That can create animosity in those that you’re looking to bring along with you, if you don’t create an environment where feedback  (8:19) Looking for “uncommon” characteristics in those you’re looking to lead, those you’re looking to influence, and those that have values that align with the mission of the organization, are hard to find, but being clear with your goals and intention reveals those folks as you go thru the process. (9:32) Consistency for finding those that challenge those around them, seems to be found in college athletes. Those willing to be coached to a high level and perform consistently to a performance standard universally competed towards. (10:16) VP of Sales Mike Kelley talks about the flexibility and courage needed to look in the wrong places. You may have a clear objective and criteria you’re looking for in your team, however, the right candidate can emerge as they display the traits that stand out, regardless of their work history. (11:38) If someone is looking to take a risk, to bet on themselves in an arena like sales or marketing, that risk can have some significant rewards. (12:36) Having the desire to being committed to a strong culture and being true to your core values, reveals the characteristics you’re looking for in a great team member. (13:19) Sometimes a well-intended HR policy can create a barrier for vetting the talent in a way that gives you enough information on the front end of the actual experience together. (14:01) To find the perfect team member, you won’t find it on paper. The paper won’t lead you to your ideal client, thus a resume may be a reference, yet it doesn’t jump out off the paper. Context is needed. (15:30) The culture of your organization will determine the candidates you’re looking for. (16:08) The days of “Sell me this pen” seem to have gone away. A career where you’re in an echo chamber doesn’t exist. You’ve got to have the perspective to join an environment where the culture can support your goals, or find an alignment in your customers interest as well as the team. (17:18) Being accountable to deliver numbers, consistently, and in a pressure filled situation  (18:19) Success can’t be faked. There may have been a time where the situation allowed you to experience “short-term” wins, yet your habits expose you. (18:48) Sometimes you miss with your hire. How do you recover from that experience?  (19:18) Being apart of an organization for a short-term is a “good thing” - although it looks to be a HUGE challenge in the interim. The organization will survive because the culture supports taking a risk, and the individual will be if they learn to find the right fit for them in the market. Subscribe and Follow to Maintain the “Leadership Mindset” Facebook - https://www.facebook.com/AccessEFM/ Twitter - https://twitter.com/Access_eforms?s=20 Linkedin - https://www.linkedin.com/company/accessefm/ Davin Marceau, COO, Access EForms - https://www.linkedin.com/in/davinmarceau/ Cody Strate, VP of Strategic Initiatives - https://www.linkedin.com/in/cody-strate-26543412 Mike Kelley, VP of Sales, Access EForms