Shannon Waller's Team Success

By: Shannon Waller
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  • Summary

  • Shannon Waller, author of The Team Success Handbook, has been the entrepreneurial team expert at Strategic Coach® since 1995. Shannon Waller’s Team Success podcasts are a series of insights around teamwork and success that she’s gained from working with entrepreneurs.
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Economics Leadership Management
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Episodes
  • How To Transform Your Organization’s Success With The Unique Ability® Model

    How To Transform Your Organization’s Success With The Unique Ability® Model
    Nov 7 2024
    Are you leveraging your entrepreneurial company's unique advantage? In this episode, Shannon Waller reveals how, by getting your team to focus on activities where they have both superior skill and passion, you can ensure your business is always growing, always innovating, and always multiplying its success—and eliminate boredom and stagnation for good. Download Episode Transcript Show Notes: Entrepreneurial companies have a distinct advantage over bureaucratic organizations because of their flexibility, innovative spirit, and capacity to cultivate a culture that prioritizes individual strengths and passions over conformity and rigid ways of thinking. This culture is founded on the Unique Ability® model, which consists of four levels: incompetent, competent, excellent, and unique capabilities, with unique being the most impactful. Here’s what they mean: Incompetent: These tasks are areas where team members struggle to achieve results, often leading to negative impacts. Entrepreneurial companies can minimize time spent on these activities, allowing them to concentrate on more productive endeavors. Competent: While team members may perform adequately in these areas, they often only meet minimum standards. In bureaucratic settings, employees may feel compelled to remain in this zone due to comfort and familiarity, but this does not foster growth or innovation. Excellent: At this level, team members demonstrate superior skills, leading to effective teamwork and often financial rewards. However, remaining in this zone for too long can result in stagnation, as people may become bored and less engaged. Unique: This is where the true potential lies. Areas of Unique Ability combine superior skill with passion, resulting in high energy, motivation, and creativity. Entrepreneurial companies have the opportunity to help their teams focus on these abilities, which can lead to significant competitive advantages If you want to maximize your company’s potential for success and innovation, strive to have at least 50% of your team's time spent in their Unique Ability and the other 50% on excellent abilities. It’s also important to eliminate tasks that fall under the "incompetent" category, as these activities cost your company money and limit productivity. Procrastination on certain tasks is a sign of incompetence in that area, even if the person technically has the capability to do it. To prevent team members from boredom and stagnation, move them away from merely competent tasks as quickly as possible. Be aware of the "Excellence Trap," where team members become too comfortable in their superior skills and resist moving toward their Unique Ability. It’s essential for entrepreneurs to foster a company culture that encourages and rewards Unique Ability® Teamwork, as this is where the 10x multiplier effect occurs in terms of productivity and innovation. To help shift your team members toward working in their areas of Unique Ability, it’s important to regularly engage in conversations with them about what they excel at and love doing. Even minor incompetent tasks can consume significant mental energy. Freeing team members from these tasks is essential for maximizing productivity and creativity. It’s important to create flexible systems and job descriptions that allow team members to focus on their excellent and unique capabilities, even if it means creating unconventional role structures. Resources: Unique Ability® Book: Unique Ability® 2.0: Discovery by Catherine Nomura, Julia Waller, and Shannon Waller
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    14 mins
  • Superpowered: Dismantling The Myths Of Hiring Assistants, with Steven Neuner and Ryan Cassin

    Superpowered: Dismantling The Myths Of Hiring Assistants, with Steven Neuner and Ryan Cassin
    Oct 24 2024
    Are you overwhelmed by the daily grind, in a state of “suck,” with an overflowing inbox, double bookings, and a constant feeling of putting out fires? Ever thought about hiring an assistant but not convinced it’s worth the money, time, and effort to bring one on board? In this episode of Team Success, host Shannon Waller sits down with Steven Neuner and Ryan Cassin, her co-authors of Superpowered: The Secret That Helps Every Entrepreneur Eliminate the Suck, 10x Their Impact, and Have More Fun in Work and Life. Shannon, Steven, and Ryan will shift your mindset about hiring an assistant so you can step out of the chaos and settle on nothing less than 10x growth and freedom. Download Episode Transcript Resources: Buy Superpowered: The Secret That Helps Every Entrepreneur Eliminate the Suck, 10x Their Impact, and Have More Fun in Work and Life by Shannon Waller, Steven Neuner, Ryan Cassin Sign up for the free Superpowered resources Visit Ryan and Steven at superpowershq.com Strategic Coach Show Notes: Constant State Of Suck Many entrepreneurs can end up in a “constant state of fire drill” before they decide to hire an assistant. The setup for failure: “Most entrepreneurs show up in the worst possible, least collaborative, lowest energy state to go make one of the most important, most influential, most meaningful hires they’re going to make in their business.” —Steven Neuner Mindset Shifts Required Before Hiring Steven coaches desperate entrepreneurs to shift their mindset to see hiring as an investment of time rather than an investment of money. Investing time to grow the relationship with a new assistant pays exponentially higher dividends down the road in both your business and personal life. Another important mindset shift is being courageous and vulnerable enough to let someone else see the backstage of your business. Entrepreneurial Executive Assistant This role requires the assistant to delegate and manage up, rather than the other way around. The assistant’s Unique Ability® frees you to stay in your own Unique Ability lane. Entrepreneurs must think of their assistant as a partner on their growth journey, one in which the assistant will also be growing professionally and personally. Entrepreneurial assistants, like entrepreneurs, don’t like getting bored; they will want to lead, take initiative, and be creative in areas outside of your Unique Ability. The Secret Many people think of an assistant as someone to whom they can delegate stuff they don’t want to do. The “secret” is that your assistant can be your all-around support partner who can give you superpowers and help you expand what you think is possible. The Superpowered Scale Resignation Desperation Frustration Delegation Superpowered Impact On Entrepreneur Support Partners Leveraged support partners find opportunities to respond to challenges, grow, and achieve fulfillment in parallel with their entrepreneur. Many support partners grow into new responsibilities, new roles, and new connections in the organization. With so much core institutional knowledge, they can also become coaches and trainers for new hires. Onboarding Process For Support Partners First 30 Days: Know You Second 30 Days: Understand You Third 30 Days: Anticipate You Don’t Settle For Faux Freedom Becoming Superpowered means going beyond the standard level of support to exploring a whole other dimension where 10x growth and freedom are possible. Read Superpowered: The Secret That Helps Every Entrepreneur Eliminate the Suck, 10x Their Impact, and Have More Fun in Work and Life for practical strategies on leveraging all the capabilities of an entrepreneurial executive assistant so you can expand your own freedoms.
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    1 hr and 4 mins
  • Hiring For Entrepreneurial Success: Avoiding The Corporate Mindset Trap

    Hiring For Entrepreneurial Success: Avoiding The Corporate Mindset Trap
    Oct 17 2024
    Are you inadvertently sabotaging your entrepreneurial company by hiring corporate talent? In this episode, Shannon Waller reveals the pitfalls of bringing corporate mindsets into entrepreneurial environments. Learn how to identify candidates with true entrepreneurial spirit, ask the right interview questions, and build a team that thrives on innovation, contribution, and rapid growth. Download Episode Transcript Show Notes: Corporate hires can be a risky choice for entrepreneurial companies due to fundamental differences in mindset and work approach. The meaning of "responsibility" differs greatly between corporate and entrepreneurial environments. Corporate backgrounds often emphasize status and hierarchy, while entrepreneurial companies value contribution above all. Red flags in interviews include candidates prioritizing salary, time off, team size, and office location over potential contributions. Corporate titles can be detrimental in entrepreneurial settings, as they focus on status rather than results. Unique Ability® titles that highlight an individual's value creation are preferable in entrepreneurial companies. When hiring, look for candidates with entrepreneurial backgrounds or experience, such as childhood businesses or side hustles. Former corporate employees who felt constrained or stifled in their previous roles may thrive in entrepreneurial environments. Entrepreneurial companies offer more freedom, innovation opportunities, and faster-paced environments compared to corporate structures. Hiring managers should prioritize candidates excited about contributing to company growth rather than personal status. Diversity in thinking and problem-solving approaches is crucial for entrepreneurial teams rather than hiring clones of existing team members. Successful candidates should be willing to work independently, be hands-on, and make a direct impact on the business. Entrepreneurial companies should emphasize their unique culture and growth opportunities when recruiting to attract the right talent. Hiring the right people is challenging but critical for maintaining an entrepreneurial culture and driving business success. Entrepreneurs should trust their instincts during the hiring process and be wary of candidates who don't align with the company's entrepreneurial spirit. Resources: Unique Ability The Kolbe A™ Index
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    11 mins

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