There is a commonly employed construct of what to look for in an employee and/or team member, typically formed as three “C”s. In a quick Google search, I saw these three Cs voiced by a number of prominent leaders and organizations, even the US Army. I’m not sure of the genesis point of these three points as a whole concept (though the Army is probably a good guess), but they are:
- Character — To be worthy of respect and trust, solid character must be in place. Honor, truth-telling, generosity, kindness…all are examples of what to look for in a leader with good character.
- Commitment — Passion and full embrace of the mission and the practices needed to fulfill said mission must be on full display in the employee and/or team member.
- Competency — The ability to perform or learn to perform your job with excellence, in a manner that is always improving to become even more competent.
Those are three solid Cs; you’ll get no argument from me regarding their importance. However, when it comes to the concept of building healthy teams, I would offer that one “C” is missing: Chemistry.
Chemistry matters; it really matters. The quick Oxford definition of chemistry is the emotional and/or psychological interaction between people. A team of people with solid character, a commitment to the organization’s mission, and high levels of competency can still fail to achieve their potential if there is not healthy chemistry on the team. If people cannot emotionally access one another in healthy ways, or if their psychological interactions are unhealthy or immature, it does not matter how strong the other three Cs are, that team will struggle mightily.
Much of a team leader’s role is the management and health of the chemistry of a team. That is why managers and executives must have high levels of emotional intelligence, courage, kindness, and the ability to communicate effectively. Many team leaders mistake unhealthy chemistry for needed competencies and then try to train competencies into their team to deal with issues of chemistry. In actuality, an injection of emotional health and psychological recalibration is required. Many managers work in environments that are so pressured for results-at-all-costs though, that in their mind, there is no space to nurture better team chemistry.
That, however, is another post.