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North Group Consultants
15 North Spruce Street
Lititz, PA 17543

A friend shared an insight about college sports that has direct implications for business.

Her son is a soccer player and she was helping him evaluate colleges. They were focusing on smaller Division III schools not too far from home and one of the things they liked to do was visit a school unannounced and watch a men’s soccer game from the stands. What a great way to see a team in action and coaches unfiltered! They went to schools with different levels of talent, some who were on track to make the D-III NCAA Tournament, and others who weren’t even close.

They noticed something interesting. Every school on their way to qualifying had a significantly deeper roster…they had a large bench!

In business, we all know it’s important to develop the next generation of leaders. We know that if we fail to develop a “bench” we will eventually face the consequences:

  • leadership gaps, disruption and loss of institutional knowledge when people leave, retire or are promoted;
  • slower growth because we don’t have enough capable leaders to scale the business;
  • increased burnout among current leaders who are carrying too much responsibility; and much more!

But there’s more to it than having a large bench.

We need people on our team that want to grow, people who want someone to invest in them, care for them, and help them move towards their highest potential. When we invest in our people, retention and engagement go up, teamwork becomes easier, and results are achieved faster.

It’s not easy. Things get in the way of developing others. Almost daily we struggle with the tyranny of the urgent, we can’t seem to find the time, and some of us, well, we’re just not sure where to start.

Consider the following as you think about the people you want to develop to create leadership bench strength in your organization:

  • Focus on “Being before Doing” (development focused on tactical skills is “training”)
  • Schedule regular time to meet (and don’t cancel)
  • Create a simple agenda and send it well in advance
  • Ask for their input: Where do they want to grow?
  • Share your feedback: Where do you want to see them grow?
  • Create a plan together
  • Listen and be curious
  • Follow up, provide support, and be their biggest fan

A friend called recently. She was feeling the weight of a hiring decision, and I could hear the frustration in her voice. Her organization was adding a finance manager, and they were fortunate to have two strong candidates in front of them. Both held finance degrees. Both had progressive experience. Both had managed teams. On paper, they were exactly what she was looking for.

Celebrate, right?

Not quite.

She was stuck. One candidate brought helpful IT experience. The other offered a background in human resources. Both additions would benefit the company in different ways. She called hoping I could help her decide.

As you would expect, my first question was simple: Do you believe each candidate would be a culture fit?

She did. So now what? It still felt like a toss‑up.

I then asked her to describe the most important characteristics of the ideal person for this role. Who do you need this person to be? Could she identify the top four or five characteristics that would enable an individual to excel in the role?

I often think about two highly successful general contractors here in Central PA. Both are award‑winning. Both are respected. Both value excellence. Yet the type of person who thrives inside each organization is quite different.

One values a collaborator‑first mindset, a calm and thoughtful leadership style, and an “ask for permission rather than beg for forgiveness” approach. The other prioritizes a competitive, “get it done” mindset, someone unafraid of conflict, willing to take the heat, and run toward the burning building.

Same industry. Similar roles. Very different characteristics needed.

Maybe you’ve found yourself in a similar situation. My advice to you would be the same I gave to her.

Step back and identify the top characteristics needed for this role in your company. Remove the “permission‑to‑play” traits like honesty, integrity, trustworthiness. If those are missing, the candidate is eliminated immediately. Instead, focus on the characteristics that truly lead to success in your environment.

To kickstart your thinking, search for a list of positive character traits and narrow it down to your top four or five. And, no, you can’t have six, it’s too many. Like the author, Patrick Lencioni likes to say… “when everything is important, nothing is!” Additionally, ask a few team members who will work closely with this person. Ask the supervisor of the role. Create the list together. Then invite the candidates back for another conversation and evaluate who best aligns with the characteristics you identified.

It’s always best to create a picture of your ideal candidate before you begin the hiring process. That picture becomes your rubric; a simple, clear guide to help you evaluate consistently. And whatever you do, don’t hand that list to the candidates. That’s like giving them the answers to the test.

Hiring will always be both art and science. But when you know exactly who you’re looking for, not just what they can do, but who they need to be, you give yourself the clarity and confidence to hire well.

In this video, Gina Breslin shares insights from our latest podcast with Brian Black.  Brian’s story demonstrates how embracing a spirit of gratitude and humility can be transformative, and Gina highlights the importance of people who can speak truth into our lives.

If you missed it, you can watch Part 1 (Episode 37 of The North Group Podcast) on this page of our website or listen on Spotify or Apple Podcasts!

“The growth and development of people is the highest calling of leadership.”  —Harvey Firestone

Emerging Teams is a service initiative from North Group Consultants specifically geared toward developing your next generation of leaders. Whether these folks are young high potential – high performers, veterans soon transitioning to next level leadership responsibilities, or somewhere in between, we believe this developmental approach will assist in their understanding of organizational health.

At North Group we have always been passionate about the importance of sustained relationships when supporting the development of leaders and their organizations to their highest potential. Development initiatives are often short-term, condensed information sessions with little time to put concepts into practice. Our Emerging Teams initiative is designed to ensure effective learning reinforced over time.

Specifically, we will teach concepts and develop skills on the following six topics:

  • Organizational Health– Defining the elements and benefits of organizational health,  Everything DiSC ® behavioral profile and self-awareness, and the importance of alignment within an organization
  • High Performance Teams– Building trust, navigating difficult conversations, maintaining accountability, and achieving optimal results
  • Purpose & Clarity– Establishing team / departmental / organizational purpose, setting behavioral standards, solidifying products and services, and creating strategic anchors
  • Effective Communication– Understanding communication types, discovering how others receive information, and mastering healthy conflict and crucial conversations
  • Structure & Process– Growing teams and hiring, managing performance, recognizing positive actions/behaviors, understanding consequences, and fostering employee engagement
  • Meetings & Recognition– Distinguishing meeting types and purposes, creating intentional agendas, crafting effective next steps

Emerging Teams is a year-long developmental initiative that will utilize a monthly meeting rhythm, alternating between large group “cohorts” and one-on-one coaching sessions. Large group cohorts will meet for half-day sessions. One-on-one coaching sessions will take place with a Consultant to help advance members’ unique understanding of topics and apply them to their individual working scenarios and teams.

Perhaps more importantly, individuals will learn and practice with folks from other organizations and industries, finding different and new ways to observe, analyze, and solve various organizational issues.

As you consider how Emerging Teams may be beneficial to your organization, here’s a brief overview of this new service:

  • Purpose: To develop an understanding of and the skills associated with organizational health, effective leadership behaviors and high performing teams
  • Who: Individuals from various organizations and industries; an organization can send a team of 2-5 individuals (min. 2 for group homework, max. 5 to vary representation)
  • Timeframe: 1 year – 6 half-day, large group sessions every other month; 6 one-on-one coaching check-ins for every individual every other month

If you want to learn more about Emerging Teams, participating, and/or involving some of your team members in this initiative, we would be delighted to connect. Please email Gina at gbreslin@northgroupconsultants.com for more information.

In our Instant Insights this year, we are highlighting phrases “we often say” to demonstrate timeless principles of leadership and organizational health.

This time, Gina describes a phrase that is often used by one of our favorite authors, Patrick Lencioni – “people who weigh in buy in.”

Our choices, right now, can make all the difference! As leaders, it’s essential that we take time to reflect on the lessons we are learning during this season so that we can emerge stronger.

Throughout our Choose Series, we have encouraged you to choose hope, encouragement, generosity, others, vision, and balance. In this video, we’ve taken time to reflect and summarize our lessons learned.

“If you hire the ‘right people’ again and again, you will strengthen your culture over time.”
– Truett Cathy, Founder, Chick-fil-A

When hiring, have you ever looked an “A-Player candidate” in the eye and said, “Sorry, but you’re just not the right fit for our organization”? GUTSY – especially in today’s tight labor market!

Every CEO, President, Executive Director, and organizational leader is searching for the slightest advantage over their competition. Most of us would agree that when we hire an individual with outstanding technical skills or a track record of successful work experiences, we’ve just given our organization a competitive advantage… or have we? If we’ve neglected to also evaluate the candidate’s character – for values alignment and culture fit – we run the risk of making a bad hire. Google “cost of a bad hire” and you’ll quickly find the price tag ranges from $25,000 – $240,000 per hire!

But, what if…

What if we thought about hiring differently? What if we placed more importance on fit than skills and experience? What if every aspect of our organization’s human systems, from hiring and orientation to performance evaluations and compensation, were created to reinforce our organization’s core purpose, values, and service offerings?

It is critical that organizations keep human systems simple while remaining steadfast in their quest for organizational clarity. Organizations that hire well evaluate potential new hires fastidiously and without compromise. Candidates must score “green” on three or four simple, specific (to you/your organization) criteria. Not even one “yellow” rating is acceptable and “red” is unthinkable!

An organization can be confident they are true to their purpose, values, and service offerings when they adhere to them, even when it hurts… even when they walk away from that technical expert/cultural misfit “A-Player”, knowing that their team will be short-handed for yet another day.

How do your human systems eliminate compromise and keep everyone focused on what is important to your organization?

  • Does your hiring process include an evaluation for values alignment and culture fit?
  • Does your orientation educate new hires on your organization’s elements of clarity?
  • When given a raise, do employees know that they are being rewarded for behaving in a way that is consistent with your organization’s core values, not just achieving technical outcomes?