What is Your HOTS Style in a Team Hare, Owl Turtle or Squirrels?

Do you have great ideas, but struggle with follow through?

In the story that we read to our children about the rabbit and the tortoise, the hero is slow and steady tortoise who wins the race and we generally judge the rabbit for his arrogance and dropping the ball at the end.

But there is more to the story than meets the eye.  The story was probably written by someone who does not have knowledge of building teams. When building teams in your organisation or even when working with your family, it is important to know what your strengths are and draw from those.

When I read the One Minute Millionaire, they have a section on styles of teams.  Structuring your teams according to what strength they have, goes a long way in making sure that you achieve your goals.

While you don't want to box people into a certain style, it is helpful when creating a vision to know which types of people can compliment the team.

In the book, you also learn when is the best time to bring certain people into a discussion or team.  For example, if you are great at coming up with new ideas, then getting a cautious person who points out all the potential problems is going to enormously frustrate you. Yet, they are critical to your success.  Knowing a bit about these styles can make you embrace the differences and minimise potential conflict.

As a summary here are some of the basic styles that you can see where you are and who you need to compliment your style.

Hares

Creative types bad at follow-through!
Idea people who think randomly
They love to find and explore new ideas
They usually get bored once the idea is to define or soon after anything practical is required

Owls

Planners and go-getters
Great at defining practical steps, planning prioritising tasks
Good at directing teams and getting people on board

Turtles 

Cautious types who point out issues
Slow and steady
Naysayers - that won't work because...
Valuing tradition tried and tested methods, proven solutions
Good at testing early - before costly investments have been made

Squirrels

Detail-oriented people who get the job done
Good at following step by step processes
Methodical, reliable, careful, logical
Ensure the 'machine' is kept moving at a pace

Which one of these is most like you? 

Do you have others on your team who bring in the other, vital perspectives required for success?

Below is a link for you to buy the book from Amazon