England are still riding high after a dramatic win against Mexico at the Azteca on Monday morning. A quarter-final clash with Norway is on the horizon, and all things considered, it couldn’t be going much better.
If England do go deeper into this tournament – and reach the final, even – one thing that will continue to be praised is Thomas Tuchel’s team selection. The England manager was much derided in the British press prior to the tournament for his selections, with many fans left bemused as several major talents were left at home.
But so far, it seems that the pundits were wrong, and Tuchel was right. The squad has not only got through to the quarter-finals, but it’s done so in a manner that is distinctly and uncompromisingly his. So, with this in mind, what can the England manager’s selection teach us about hiring staff and building a winning culture? Well, it turns out, quite a lot.
Choose cultural fit and cohesion over raw talent
The biggest takeaway from England’s squad selection – and the purported vibes at the camp so far – is that Tuchel has prioritised culture and cohesion over raw talent. Those who remember the England teams of the mid-2000s – often called the “golden generation” – will know what happens when that camaraderie doesn’t arise.
It’s easy to hire a roster of stars and assume the results will just follow. But a collection of brilliant individuals who don’t trust one another and collaborate poorly isn’t the same thing as a team.
Talent doesn’t compound when your business is awash with rivalries, silos, and competing agendas. Just as Tuchel picked Jordan Henderson to knit his squad together rather than for what he’d add on the pitch, the strongest organisations treat culture and cohesion as capabilities in their own right, not soft extras that just arise out of thin air alongside the “real” work. Nowadays, most leaders recognise this; according to People Management, 96% of managers say hiring for culture fit is important.
A glittering CV is less important than recent, relevant performance
England players of the past have often been selected on their past reputations. But this time, it has been recent high-level performances in key positions that have helped players find their way into the squad. Ollie Watkins and Kobbie Mainoo are good examples.
The reputation trap catches organisations constantly. It’s tempting to hire and promote on the strength of a glittering CV full of big names and prestigious past roles.
But a track record tells you what someone used to be capable of, and doesn’t necessarily give you an indicator of what they’re able to deliver now. Past glories do count for something, but it shouldn’t earn a starting place on its own. The question you should ask isn’t “how good were they?”, rather, it’s “how good are they right now, for what we need right now?”
Align your personnel to your system, not the other way around
Thomas Tuchel has a way he wants to play, and he refuses to compromise on this. His squad selection has, crucially, come downstream from this initial vision, rather than an attempt to shoehorn in players who may not be able to execute his game plan.
Even if someone is wonderfully talented, if they’re not going to be able to come into the office – and that’s something you see as essential – there’s no point in pushing forward with the hire. Principles must come first, and person-organisation fit has been associated in many studies with greater organisational commitment, employee retention, citizenship behaviours and task performance.
Outline expectations from the get-go
One of the most striking differences between Thomas Tuchel’s squad and those that have been taken to previous World Cups is that it includes more players than usual who are happy to not be starting, and never thought they would be.
While other managers would want top players fighting for a place, it seems Tuchel has gone for balance, ensuring every player understands their role intimately.
At every stage of the hiring process, expectations must be managed. There’s no point in promising the world or exaggerating the scope of the role, only for your new employee to quickly realise this wasn’t what they signed up for. The fewer surprises, the easier it is to bed someone into an existing structure and ensure they stick around. In fact, been long established that honest, realistic job previews have the ability to significantly reduce employee turnover.
Understand why you need both generalists and specialists
It’s really clear since the tournament began that Tuchel has a deep understanding of specialists and generalists, and how they both play roles in this team. The BBC recently wrote an article about how England’s game against Mexico was, in fact, five “mini games”, during which Tuchel has deployed “specialists” who work well in specific game states.
6’7 defender Dan Burn is one of the squad’s most obvious specialists. He has only been used once this tournament, against Mexico, to defend balls coming into the box. But multiple generalists bring this squad together. Jude Bellingham is the perfect example of this – he can do everything from score goals to make last-ditch tackles in defence.
Just as Tuchel wins by knowing exactly when to send on a Dan Burn and when to lean on a Bellingham. Companies love to tout their specialists, but expertise sitting in silos rarely wins anything on its own. There’s no perfect ratio of one to the other. But teams that start to think about precisely what they need, using the generalist-specialist binary, tend to get where they’re going far faster.
Planet of the Grapes founder Matt Harris has over 25 years of experience in hospitality. Read his bi-monthly column for Startups now.
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