Star Creation
by Miki SaxonMonday we considered the idea that a team can have too much talent, i.e., stars.
Bosses claim they hire stars because they are the rocket that drives a team further, faster.
I think many do it because they are lazy.
As Wally Bock puts it, “We live in a world of microwavable answers and quick fixes” — and bosses see stars as quick fixes.
Which, if you will excuse the bluntness, is really stupid for two reasons.
- Stars are often a product of the culture and don’t necessarily transplant well.
- Stars can cost you the rest of the team.
The so-called slow fix takes more effort, but provides far greater ROI.
And you, personally, do much better, and have more fun, with fewer regrets, building your own team of stars — usually the only things lacking in this approach are egos, prima donnas and drama.
A slightly offbeat story illustrates the kind of stars that can result.
Faculty from Bard College coach a debate team from the Eastern New York Correctional Facility, a maximum-security lockup.
They recently beat the national and world champion Harvard team. They have also beaten the University of Vermont and West Point teams.
They are home-grown stars, since it’s doubtful that a world-class team of debaters were all incarcerated at the same facility.
The point of all this is that if you want to be known as a great boss, then be the coach who builds an extraordinary team, as opposed to being the one who hires shooting stars.
Flickr image credit: Michael Pollack
January 19th, 2016 at 1:16 am
[…] problem is, as As Wally Bock succinctly said last year, “We live in a world of microwavable answers and quick fixes” — and bosses see stars as quick […]