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A-Players

Information Technology Job Placement Agencies

We talk a lot about the importance of building a team of A-Players, but what does that mean?

An A-Player is someone who is the right person in the right seat at the right time. The “right person” is someone who aligns with our core values – relationships, service, and expertise.

The “right seat” means that the right people are operating in positions that leverage their skills and passion. For example, a basketball coach doesn’t appoint an agile, 5’ 4” player to play center or a 7’ player to play point guard.

The “right time” implies that people who are not A-Players can become them and vice versa. The Patriots have a strong track record of finding average players from other teams who will be an A-Player in their system.

The right person in the right seat at the right time is often based on growing into or out of a seat, changing company objectives, and the stage of the company.

In my opinion, everyone is an A-Player at something. The success of J2 will depend on creating a team that is full of A-Players who make each other better.

Here is what Harvard Business School defined as consistent qualities of A-Players:1

1. Set stretch goals and adopt high standards for themselves.
2. Work collaboratively.
3. Volunteer to represent the group.
4. Embrace change, rather than resisting it.
5. Take initiative.
6. Walk the talk.
7. Use good judgment.
8. Display personal resilience.
9. Give honest feedback.

“Everyone is a genius. But if you judge a fish by its ability to climb a tree, it will live its whole life believing that it is stupid.” —Albert Einstein

Have a great weekend.

—Vijay

 

Sources:
1Zenger, Jack & Folkman, Joseph. The Behaviors That Define A-Players. Harvard Business Review. (April 11, 2014). Retrieved from https://hbr.org/2014/04/what-a-players-do

About Friday Food for Thought (FFfT)

I frequently attend conferences and retreats on entrepreneurship and leadership and while I am away, the J2 team picks up the slack, allowing me to learn to be better at what I do. I wanted to share what I was learning with my team, so I created the weekly FFfT emails in November of 2015 and have been writing them ever since.

Before long, the J2 staff began sharing the FFfT emails with their friends and family and now other leaders have asked to be included, which led to the creation of this newsletter. I hope you enjoy!

 

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