Putting together the perfect (communication) team?

To do this, bring in these competencies and personalities!

Michael is a true creative genius. He has a wealth of experience developing communication strategies and can handle the work of three colleagues in a single day. The only problem... he always knows best and doesn't leave room for junior staff to shine. That doesn't sit well with the team. Well, putting together the perfect communication team isn't a simple matter of combining the individual components. It's about finding the perfect balance between personalities and competencies and skills.

The communications team is often the heart of an organization. They create connections both within and outside the organization. But how do you ensure optimal connections within the team itself? With the right people in the right positions, a team works better, faster, and with greater impact. That sounds good, of course. However, building such an effective communications team is quite a challenge. Two good strikers don't make a successful football team. So, what should you consider when building your communications team?

Find the right personalities for your communications team

Combined with a good cross from midfield and a strong defense, two strong strikers can go a long way. But does your team have all these roles covered? 

To find out, you can, for example, use the four colors of the DISC model use or MBTI. But here we're using the Big Five model. According to science, this is one of the most reliable personality theories. This theory is based on five traits: openness, conscientiousness, extroversion, altruism, and neuroticism. In this video, you'll learn about it in just five minutes. the Big Five model explainedBased on these character traits, we can identify five roles you'll definitely want to have when building your communications team:  

The leader

Let's continue the football analogy for a moment. A team can have all sorts of strong, individual components, but without a strong coach, they won't win the championship. A good leader is someone who gives clear instructions, solves problems, and motivates and inspires others. A successful leader also has strong social skills. They're someone who listens well and communicates clearly. For this, you want someone who scores high in extroversion, altruism, and openness.

When choosing a leader, align it with your team's needs. Is it a young team that still needs a lot of guidance? Then they need someone with a strong management style. Is the team made up of seasoned employees? Then they need autonomy. Not a strict manager breathing down their necks and playing the hierarchy card at the slightest slight. In either case, it's wise to avoid micromanagement. A communications team needs a lot of freedom. Trust their expertise and give innovators the space to be creative.

The innovator

84% of CEOs in this research by McKinsey see innovation as the most important driver of growth. At the same time, this is also where those same CEOs see the most room for improvement. That's why you want someone on your team with a vision, someone who comes up with creative, new ideas. And also someone who isn't afraid to take risks. Qualities that are especially useful in roles like content creators or communications advisors. For this, you want someone on your communications team who scores highly on the trait of "openness."

The analyst

To keep the team balanced, a critical thinker is also needed. Someone who doesn't jump around at the same time. Someone who takes the time to conduct thorough research before making a decision. An analyst may not always be the easiest person on the team, as their focus isn't on the other team members. They have a lower personality trait of altruism, and they often score higher on introversion. But they are indispensable. They prevent the team from making hasty decisions.

The planner

Another role that helps prevent hasty decisions is the planner. You want someone on your team who is reliable, punctual, and responsible. Someone who effortlessly meets every deadline and always has a fresh to-do list on their desk. Because such a person has insight into potential future problems, they can prevent surprises for the team. These qualities are especially useful in roles such as project manager or communications advisor. For this, you need someone on your communications team who scores high on conscientiousness and low on neuroticism.

The buffer

Besides "leaders," you also need inspiring, leading figures. Communication and listening are top priorities in this role, as are emotional intelligence and empathy. This allows these people to collaborate well with colleagues and clients. The only difference with "the leader" is that the leadership element is missing, allowing this person to connect more with colleagues. These individuals are needed to strengthen team spirit and serve as a buffer during workplace conflicts. They therefore score highly on openness and altruism.

Gather the necessary skills for your communications team

In addition to various roles, and various character traits, you also want your team members to have specific competencies and skills. A well-known way to test which competencies you have is the 360-degree feedback development plannerMany of these 33 competencies were already hidden in the role breakdown above. Below you'll find a list of the most important ones for a communications professional:

• Adaptability: The communications world is changing rapidly, and you want a team that can easily adapt to changing circumstances, technologies, tools, or even crisis situations.
• Creativity: To accommodate these changes, you want team members who come up with original solutions. 
• Innovate: You want someone who explores and initiates innovative ways of working to keep up with and stay ahead of change.
• Leadership: You want someone on the team who can lead employees to achieve agreed goals.
• Listening: You want a team member who takes the time to listen and ask the right questions to gather the necessary information.
• Oral communication: you want someone who can engage listeners and express complex matters simply.
• Planning and organizing: you want someone to have the overview to organize the work as efficiently as possible, so that the team can carry it out as effectively as possible.
• Collaboration: You want someone who actively asks for input and contributes to the work of others.
• Sociability: You want someone who can naturally connect and maintain connections.
• Sensitivity: You want a team member who is sensitive to the feelings and needs of others and knows how something impacts others.
• Vision: You want a team member who thinks ahead and anticipates changes that are coming.

When assembling your communications team, make sure there is diversity.

Diversity in terms of personalities, competencies, and skills, but also ethnicity. And that's not just to meet that year's diversity quota. Ethnically diverse teams are 39% more likely to outperform the least diverse teams, according to this research by McKinseyThese teams can approach complex issues from multiple perspectives, making it easier to solve problems. This broad perspective also benefits innovation.

Have you assembled the ultimate communications team? Finally, make sure you have a clear vision. Nothing unites a team like a shared, measurable goal. This is the ultimate distraction from internal differences and shifts the focus to collaboration. After all, why bother performing if there's no other competition on the horizon? So all you need to do now is give your communications team the idea that they can win the European Championship. Time for that, right?