“The free exploring mind of the individual human is the most valuable thing in the world.” John Steinbeck
I was sitting in Panera carefully reviewing the plan for the day as my frustration continued to build. On this day, I was scheduled to work with a graduate from our companies Graduate Program. He was beginning a two-week cycle with the Commercial team and shadowing me for the day followed by shadowing my sales team members the rest of the week. Our scheduled meeting time had come and gone, and he had yet to arrive, text or call.
Sufficiently late and disheveled, he arrived at our meeting with a brief apology and limited explanation for his tardiness. With my blood pressure already above normal, I quickly started reviewing with him our schedule for the day and began listing the objectives we wanted to achieve. As I read off the bullet pointed objectives, I instructed him to write down what we were reviewing. He replied to my request with a dumb founded look, “I forgot a pen”. In that moment, I probably could have reacted more calmly, I could have handed him one of my pens. Instead, I proceeded to inform him that his pen was his most valuable tool for this shadowing experience, and he should just go home. With a look of shock on his face and a brief exchange of eye contact to make sure I was not kidding, he headed home for the day. Not my proudest moment from a coaching standpoint, but I am almost certain he never forgot his pen for a meeting again.
Knowing your most valuable tool is something I will always carry with me. Some days that tool is a pen, but for the duration of my career, my most valuable tool is my passion to perform. Your most valuable tool is unique to you. Each individual brings to the workplace something that only they can contribute. It is something that can be the pillar to their success and their individuality, as long as they know what it is.
A great manager helps employees to individually recognize, promote and lean into their most valuable tool. Equally, a great manager will work to identify this most valuable tool in the interview process and build a team that has a wide breadth of valuable tools.
I have worked with teams that all have similar valuable tools and while those individuals all contribute to the team, they also all contribute in a similar way. In the case of my current team, I am fortunate to have built a group that all has different most valuable tools and while some of these team members are fully aware of what is their most valuable tool, others are methodically working with me to figure it out for themselves.
A dynamic and performing team that complements each other may have the following individual most valuable tools:
- A technical and organizational person
- A personable relationship-based genius
- A willingness to assist others and an expert in product applications
- A dynamic, energetic, driven never take no person
- An up-and-coming natural born leader
Managing in the Middle:
- Determine, know, and promote your most valuable tool. When you are questioned on what makes you different, what value do you bring, the answer will be clear.
- Make a list of your direct reports, write down what you would consider to be their most valuable tool.
- Have conversations with each direct report on what they think is their most valuable tool. Compare your thoughts and perceptions with their own personal beliefs. Work to align on what is their greatest strength and how they can lean into it throughout their career.
- Prior to interviewing, determine what most valuable tools you are missing on your team. Then proceed through interviews working to fill the gaps. During the interview process ask probing questions to work to determine the most valuable tool that each candidate would bring to the team.
The value of a cohesive and supportive team with a large range of most valuable tools is immeasurable.
The Heart of the Middle 