Working With Others: Is It C.L.E.A.R.?

How do you choose people to work with? Is it C.L.E.A.R.? Here is a list of 3 points per letter that have been designed to help you identify and clarify traits about people you might consider working with. I will be upfront that many of these questions are slightly more in-depth than normal interview questions and aim to study a person beyond the basic comprehension levels concerning the general tasks they might be assigned. Some of these questions can be discussed directly with the person and others can be used based on your own personal observations. These questions will be most suitable for leaders who are looking to develop those they are working with. 

C's
Character

• Is this person a driven person? If yes, what drive this person?
• Do they have a code of ethics they try and live by that is visible to most people?

Competences

• Do you believe they have the ability and know how to get the job done?

Chemistry

• Do you think they will be a valuable addition to the team and get along with those already on the team?

L's
Listeners

• Do they actively listen to others?

Learners

• Do they take time to learn about others?
• Are they willing to learn what they currently do not know? (Learn new task, systems, programs, etc.)

Leadership

• Are they self proclaimed leaders or have they been appointed?
• How do they lead?

E's
Emotionally Mature

• Who controls the outcome, the person or the emotions of the person?

Emotionally Stable

• Can they be trusted in high stress situations?
• Do they have examples of this they might be able to share?

Energy

• What type of energy will they bring to the team? 
• How can this affect the team, both positively and negatively?

A's
All

• Do they have an all in and committed mindset or are they okay with letting things simply slide by? Look for this in examples of what they might have already accomplished or produced. 

Add

• How might they add value to the those they would potentially be working with? Personally and professionally should be considered. 

Alone

• Are they productive when working on solo projects or individual tasks?

R's
Respect

• Do they respect leadership enough to submit?
• Do they respect the bigger picture even if their task is not the most exciting?

Risk

• Are they quick to take a risk without considering the consequences?
• Are they too sacred to take a risk when needed?
• Are they comfortable making difficult decisions and standing by their choices? Do they have examples?  

Regimen

• Do they know when it is time to work overtime and when it is time to rest?
• Do they know how to stay replenished? How balanced is their life currently?
• Will their overall health be a factor with their work performance or efficiency?

One rule of thumb I try and practice is to never expect out of others more than what I expect out of myself. If you are in a position of leadership and you are considering utilizing some of these questions, I would recommend walking through them for yourself first and see how you measure up. It will provide better insight and common ground when using these questions for others. 

Talk soon & God bless,
MG