Over the Memorial Day weekend, I saw Star Trek for the second time. What can I say… I guess I’m a geek, but frankly it was just as good the second time around. In fact, I got more out of it and realized that I could learn a thing or two about team building from the crew of the Enterprise.

Each person brought passion to their job and excelled in their specialty. Each had different backgrounds, experiences, and skills. The crew was not cookie-cutter or cast from a stereotypical mold. Instead they played off of each other’s strengths to balance one another and create a stronger team.

I was equally impressed with everyone’s ability to stay focused on the outcome of the mission. They kept their eye on the prize and worked together in a face of adversity to accomplish what was best for Star Fleet. How often to do teams break apart because of internal politics rather than remaining true to the best interest of the company?

So I challenge you in your hiring practices to bring on board talent that is better than you. Talent that extends the reach of your team and adds diversity to the mix. Give them good training and room to run. You’ll be impressed with what they can achieve. I know we are at LifeSize.