These days, it seems everyone is a “jack of all trades”.
If you know how to code a website, you also know a thing or two about design, and you’re an expert on social media, and sure, you can write professional copy that sells. But when you’re building a team, you’re not hiring people because they do it all. You’re hiring them for their core competency, their “One Thing”.
When interviewing potential subcontractors for my web design business, I often ask this question:
“If you have to choose one, would you say you’re a better designer or developer?”
Even though many web designers can create designs and code them too, very few, if any, are equally good at both. It’s up to you as the leader of your team to recognize this, and to find out what everybody’s “one thing” is, then leverage that set up your team and your project for a huge win.
Complimentary Skill Sets
In order to build an effective team, you must assemble complimentary skill sets. At the most basic level, you simply want to match people up that specialize in different things so that all of your bases are covered.
But sometimes having a so-called “jack of all trades” person can, in a way, be beneficial. Not that you will ask them to do all of those things. But having that background knowledge of other areas will help them be effective collaborators.
Coming back to my web design agency example: My projects typically require a designer, a front-end developer, and a back-end developer. A well-rounded web designer will have some knowledge of how their designs should be coded. Although I don’t ask them to actually code their designs, they can craft their work more effectively, knowing the types of issues the developers will be dealing with.
Quality End Result
By assembling teams of people with complimentary skill sets and assigning them to work on the roles that best suit their one thing, results in a final product that beams with top quality in all aspects. That’s what leads to a great reputation as a team who produces outstanding results.
What are you doing to target your teammate’s one thing?
Absolutely. I will be the first to admit that I am NOT a designer, and I don’t ever try to say that I am.
I think admitting to yourself and others what skills are NOT, but having the right team of people together who do have these skills you lack, is very important to the success of every business, whether you be an individual or a team.
Thanks Pippin! And congrats on being the first commenter on this new blog
Yes, we must understand our own strengths / weaknesses before we can do the same for our team.
I’m creating a spreadsheet of all of the people in my network who are developers, designers, illustrators, artists, bloggers, photographers, and marketing/SEO strategists. After assessing their work online and rating them based on the type of team I’m building, my plan is to make contact, initiate the relationship and start the interviewing process.
It’s gonna be fun! WHOOT!