Finding the right team fit can be a struggle for leaders, and the process can feel a bit overwhelming. They often ask, “Are they a good fit or not?” Do they need training, coaching, or time to develop their skills? How about when you’re hiring someone into a leadership position? On paper, the interviewee might look great! But how do you know that they are the right team fit? As they say, when you interview someone for the first time, you’re not really meeting them. You’re meeting their representative.
Interviewing people and determining whether someone is the right team fit can be challenging. When I failed yet again in selecting the right person for an open position, I asked my business coach for advice. He shared a framework (I love frameworks!) that I could start using during an interview process and with my existing team members. He called it the “6 C’s” of a good-fit employee. You can use it when interviewing people or with existing employees to assess their performance. This tool answers the question – is this person the right fit for our team?
How to use the Six C’s to determine if someone is the right team fit.
1. Character
Strong character is essential for finding the right team fit—it’s about trust and integrity.
Does the person do the right thing no matter what? Or do they act in their own self-interest? Once, I was interviewing someone who shared a story that made me immediately hire her. She told me that in her previous department, everyone got a yearly bonus except for their administrative support person (this was not a healthcare setting). She thought it was wrong and sacrificed half of her bonus so that she wasn’t left out. “After all, she said, we wouldn’t have done so well without her.” That’s integrity. That’s doing the right thing.
Consider the opposite situation. You delegate a weekly report to your Assistant Nurse Manager, who begrudgingly accepts, and then 8 weeks later, you actually look at the reports she’s been sending and they are the exact same – all she did was change the date.
That’s a sign of a character flaw.
2. Competence
When assessing skills, competence is non-negotiable for finding the right team fit.
Do they have the basic skills to do the job? If you’re hiring an educator, they should be skilled at creating slide decks, putting together a competency, and have good presentation skills. If not, well, you will either have to train them or pick someone else.
What about someone who is on your team now? You asked them repeatedly to create an action plan for a deficiency you received during your last Joint Commission survey, but they haven’t turned it in yet. Do you know if they have the competency to create it? Don’t assume.
I once hired someone who scored high in all of the C’s except competence. She looked great on paper; the team loved her, but she couldn’t execute, well, anything.
3. Chemistry
Do they work well with others? Are people genuinely happy to see them when they come to work, or do they look the other way? During a virtual meeting, is their camera on, and are they engaged? Are conversations with this person effortless, or are they awkward?
There are times in my life when I meet someone and think I could have talked to them all day! This happened to me recently when I saw a speech therapist to help me with my vocal hygiene. I’ve been getting hoarse easily, and since my voice is my “career,” I decided to get some help. Her name is Kelly. When I had my first speech evaluation, I realized how much we had in common and swore half of our time was spent just chatting about our common interests. When I got home, I told my husband, “I have a new best friend!” We had such good chemistry. Other times, I can’t wait for the conversation to end.
Think about the people on your team. Good chemistry or bad mojo?
4. Culture
Do they contribute to a positive work culture, or are they a negative resister? Do they treat others on the team well or create cliques or “us versus them” situations? When I meet with leaders and ask them about their charge nurses – are they good role models or not – I always get “the look.” “Well, most of them are, but there is this one charge nurse…” If someone is in an informal leadership position and contributing to a negative work culture, take them out of the role. Period.
Culture is everything! It’s the driving force that determines how well you get through crises and changes and how quickly you rebound from difficult situations, and it is the most important predictor of retention.
Pay attention to the people on your team and how they contribute to your culture – good or bad.
5. Capacity
Do they have the ability to do what you’re asking of them, grow, and scale? Or, are they in a season of their life where they aren’t able to do more? Maybe they have small children, care for an elderly family member, or are in graduate school. You might be frustrated that they have not volunteered to be on any committees, but perhaps it’s because they don’t have the capacity. When I was a new nurse, it was all I could do just to show up. I wanted to do more, but my kids were young, and I had an unsupportive husband (ex-husband now). There was no way I could do anything more than just go to work.
If they are in a preceptor role or supposed to be mentoring others, do they have time to breathe and help others, or are they overburdened with tasks?
The key is to consider someone’s capacity, especially if you’re frustrated that they’re not meeting your expectations.
6. Coachability
When given constructive feedback, do they accept it well or become argumentative? Do they ask for help to become a better team member, or do they resist any input from others? Do you see evidence of ownership of getting better, or are you having the same conversations over and over again?
A leader told me about one of her nurses who would have a “temper tantrum” every 6 weeks. She would then counsel her about her behavior. She would be “fine” for a bit and then act out again. When I asked her how many times she counseled her, she shared that it’s been a year and a half. Do the math – that’s approximately 12 counseling’s x 1 hour = 12 hours she’s spent trying to coach her but with no improvements. I helped her to see that she was NOT coachable and, therefore, needed to be therapeutically extracted.
Being coachable is essential – especially in healthcare.
Using the 6 C’s framework for finding the right team fit ensures you build a cohesive, high-performing team.
If you are an Executive, make a list of your Directors or other senior leaders. Run them through the 6 C’s.
If you are a Director, make a list of your managers and run them through the 6 C’s.
If you are a Manager, make a list of your assistant nurse managers, supervisors, or charge nurses. Run them through the 6 C’s.
Then, review your results. You may realize that the person who you’ve been the most frustrated with either just doesn’t have the capacity or competence or may not be a good fit for your team at all because of a character flaw or because they are contributing to a negative culture. Especially if you’re like me and make emotional decisions, the 6 C’s is a great tool to help you objectively evaluate your team members.
