Building Great IT Teams: Artists and Accountants — All are welcome!

Last article we dramatized “Wolves or Workhorses” and how teams may have both collaborative and corrosive team members. There is a different, more positive personality contrast you can recognize and foster within your IT team. I often call this the “Artist vs Accountant” personality challenge…and you may have both of these on an IT team. Each is great, but they need different things to thrive.

“Artist” IT personalities want to be creative and are often motivated by ideas, design, architecture, and building something beautiful. “Accountant” IT personalities want to get their tasks done on time, with high quality, and with ALL the boxes checked on the way. One personality likes to create and build and the other loves to accomplish and complete.

I often illustrate my articles with polarized comparisons…but the point is you can manage each person where they are and by what they need. Start building a great team with what all team members need…. great leadership and support!

• Discover and encourage each person’s unique skills and passions at work to build trust and career growth. Understand each team member for who they are and how they thrive best.
• Mentor each person individually towards their roles, goals, and passions, and then workshop with the team on shared goals. Create team goals that help build inter-dependence and collaboration.
• Be the coach and chief encourager with your team. Make mentorship and training a continuous topic instead of a yearly review! Skill growth and specific training goals are key to pushing everyone moving forward and they can make a huge improvement in team morale too.

Artists…

Feed the creativity in Artists where possible and encourage them to stay on track for delivery of work that is ‘nearly’ perfection, but on time. Artists often appreciate Accountants for the organizational skills they bring as it keeps them focused on their creative passions.

Accountants…

Feed the passion of an Accountant with responsibilities they excel in… such as project management, compliance, and other detail-savvy roles. Encourage accountants to appreciate the Artist’s personality for their idea generation and solution-building passions.

GREAT teams can be a rewarding accomplishment for a passionate team manager who learns how to handle all types of people. Differences across personalities, skill levels, and work styles are OK. Manage both Artists and Accountants with an understanding of their differences, work needs, and with an appreciation for the unique skills they bring to a great team.