What do tacos and margaritas have in common with the perfect work team, you might ask. It’s a fair question. And I have the answer, backed by some pretty sound logic. *
Tacos and margaritas are both made up of different components that come together to create a cohesive and enjoyable experience, just like an effective, productive work team! See what I did there? Tacos and margaritas are also delicious, which isn’t an adjective I would use for a work team. Though it’s pretty darn satisfying when a team works well together.
Tacos, which I will happily eat any day of the week, are made up of a variety of ingredients, such as tortillas (hard, soft, corn, flour – depending on your preference and gluten tolerance), meat and/or veggies, cheese (yes, please!) and other toppings, which all work together to create a distinctive and yummy meal. Likewise, a cohesive work team is made of individuals with different skills, strengths, challenges, and personality types that come together to achieve a shared goal.
The Omnia Assessment is a great way to assess the variety of ingredients on your team. Do you have some clear leaders and supportive followers, some social extroverts as well as some quiet introverts? What about those who focus on the details and those who prefer the big picture? Each unique person brings a different and important flavor to the team. And of course, you need to know who’s who and what’s what so you can put together the perfect taco and the perfect team! Is anyone else getting hungry?
Or thirsty?
Margaritas also require different ingredients, like tequila, lime juice, and a sweetener. Of course, if you’re anything like me, you might want something with a twist. Spicy watermelon margarita anyone? Whichever ingredients you choose, the elements must be balanced correctly to create a drink that is refreshing and pleasant. In the same way, a perfect work team needs to balance different roles and responsibilities to achieve optimal productivity, synergy, and success. Never send a bougie ginger-raspberry margarita to do the job of a good old-fashioned classic marg!
Hopefully, you’re now asking yourself what strategies and ingredients you can use to create a perfect work team. But really, you’re probably craving tacos and margaritas, and wondering if it’s 5 o’clock yet. Tell you what. I’ll give you the strategies AND great recipes for the easiest, tastiest margaritas and tacos.
The Perfect Work Team Recipe
1. Hire the right people
You can’t have a great team if you don’t hire great people. This is foundational, like tortillas and taco shells. Make sure you have a rigorous and thorough hiring process. This process should involve data-gathering tools like skills tests, behavioral interviews, an Omnia personality assessment, reference checks, a cognitive assessment, and background checks. The more you know, the better your chances of hiring the best person for the job and team.
2. Set clear goals and expectations
Setting clear goals and expectations is essential for building the perfect work team. Because nothing creates conflict faster than people who don’t know who is doing what. Every team member should understand their roles, responsibilities, and what is expected of them not only in their own jobs but also when they are working on a team project or task. This will avoid confusion and misunderstandings while supporting accountability, teamwork, and productivity.
3. Encourage Communication and Collaboration
Communication is crucial both at work and at home. Team members should be encouraged to communicate openly and effectively. Effective communication starts by having your team understand each other’s personality types, preferences, and communication styles. When each member of the team understands how others on the team process and communicate information it automatically contributes to a healthy work environment, enhances collaborative problem-solving skills, and promotes innovation. Team members should be encouraged to work together to achieve their goals.
4. Provide Continuous Learning Opportunities
Continuous learning opportunities keep the perfect team sharp and engaged. Team members should be encouraged to develop their skills and knowledge continuously. A stagnant workforce will descend into apathy and disengagement. Keep the opportunities for learning flowing!
5. Recognize and Reward Performance
Recognizing and rewarding performance is a key motivator for people. Team members should be recognized and rewarded for their accomplishments, which will drive them to perform better.
6. Foster a Positive Work Environment
Fostering a positive work environment will keep your teams engaged. Who wants to work in a negative environment? That’s like a life without tacos and margaritas… boring and sad. Team members should be encouraged to work with one another in a way that supports mutual respect, trust, and understanding.
7. Provide Opportunities for Feedback
People want to know how they are doing, how they are measuring up to expectations, and what they can do better. A-players always want to do better, while feedback can help develop your B and C players. Leaders should be providing regular feedback to individual team members and the team as a whole while supporting an environment that encourages the team to provide feedback to each other. This circles right back to communication, mutual respect, and trust. It all goes together like (you guessed it) tacos and margaritas.
8. Lead by Example
Team leaders should always exhibit the right behavior, work ethic, and attitude. Leaders set the tone for the team and the organization. No one will respect or follow a leader who doesn’t practice what they preach. It’s that simple.
With the right strategies you can build the perfect work team, and with the right ingredients, you can assemble a tasty taco and a scrumptious margarita.
Okay, so here is the easiest, tastiest margarita ever from Jill Conner Browne’s The Sweet Potato Queens’ Book of Love. I have given this recipe to many people over the years. One former co-worker makes it a staple of his pool tiki bar in the summers (you’re welcome, Bob).
Ingredients and instructions (they are that easy): 12 oz tequila, 12 oz of 7-Up (not Sprite), 1 can of frozen limeade which is, you guessed it, 12 oz, and one Corona beer. I use the limeade can to measure out the tequila and 7-Up. Mix together with ice in a pitcher – do not blend! This is a very sweet marg. I’ve not tried it, but I do wonder if a bit of jalapeño juice might cut the sweetness. Experiment at your own risk.
Basic beef tacos, though you can use the protein of your choice. And trust me, you’ll need food if you’re drinking those margaritas – drink responsibly.
Ingredients: 1 lb ground beef; 1 tbsp olive oil; 1 small onion, chopped; 2 garlic cloves, minced; 1 tbsp chili powder; 1 tsp ground cumin; ½ tsp smoked paprika; ½ tsp salt; ¼ tsp black pepper; ¼ cup enchilada sauce; ¼ cup of beef broth or water, 1 small can (4oz) of green chili peppers; 8-10 hard taco shells or soft flour tortillas; toppings of your choice (shredded cheese, lettuce, diced tomato, sour cream, guacamole, etc.)
Instructions:
Heat the olive oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add the onion and garlic and cook until softened.
Add the ground beef and cook, breaking it up, until browned and cooked through.
Add the chili powder, cumin, smoked paprika, salt, and black pepper, and stir to combine.
Add the enchilada sauce, green chili peppers, and beef broth (or water) and stir to combine. Reduce the heat to low and let the mixture simmer for 10-15 minutes until the sauce has thickened.
While the sauce is simmering, heat the taco shells according to the package instructions.
To assemble the tacos, fill each taco shell with a spoonful of the beef mixture, and top with your desired toppings. Enjoy!
*It might be hard to believe, but (sadly) no margaritas were consumed during the writing of this blog.
