How Steve Sims Builds a Team

“There’s gonna be people in the group that should not be in the group, and they’re the cancer cells that you gotta get rid of.” -Steve Sims, CEO of The Bluefish

Steve Sims is the motorcycle-riding, goatee-sporting CEO of The Bluefish. Forbes magazine declared him, “The modern day Wizard of Oz.” Steve regularly leads his team to accomplish the impossible, like arranging a private dinner at the feet of Michelangelo’s David while Andrea Bocellie serenades the guests. In a video interview, (full video below) Steve told me how he builds his teams. I’ve distilled his advice down to three points in this article.

1. CHOOSE. Steve makes a great point about auditing your group and cutting out cancerous people, when necessary. He says, “There’s gonna be people in the group that should not be in the group, and they’re the cancer cells that you gotta get rid of.” First, make an effort to invest in people. If cutting is still necessary, they may not need to be fired. At my last organization, we had a highly-skilled employee who was extremely difficult, even arrogant. Every role we gave him was a struggle for those around him. However, when we gave him an outward-facing role as a liaison to a group of contractors, he thrived. Plus, our internal teams were relieved.
2. UNDERSTAND. Figure out what makes people tick. Steve is a master of this and he spells out his secrets throughout our interview. The theme here is listening. Most importantly, Steve listens to people’s tone and their body language. Words can be deceptive, pay close attention to the details and you can pick up on what excites someone. This can be the game-changer in a relationship. For example, Steve had a client asking for tickets to the Playboy Mansion, but he sounded bored. Steve picked up on the tone in his client and asked some tactful questions. It turned out the man was gay and just wanted the tickets to mislead his co-workers. Steve also discovered that the man loved wine tasting with his partner. In the end, the man got used Playboy Mansion ticket stubs for free and a romantic trip to Napa Valley.
3. INCENTIVIZE. When you know what someone really wants, you have a chance to look for win-wins. You can find ways that they help the team and help themselves. Steve doesn’t recommend cash bonuses, neither do I. In the military, we found other incentives like time off, rank, new duties, new responsibilities, and special projects. One of my team members was struggling to support his family. Money became his most desired incentive. We found a way to qualify him for a special duty that paid extra, because it was high risk. This took extra time and care, but he appreciated it.