The competitive advantage of high performing teams | Vijay Viswanathan | EP06

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Your host

Cameron Webster, CFA
Institutional Portfolio Manager

Cam likes to think and act long-term. He has broad experience in the capital markets over his 20+ years as an analyst, portfolio manager, and client service professional. When not thinking about markets and investing, Cam trains and participates in other “boring” and disciplined activities such as ultra-endurance races—marathon, triathlon, one-day 300+km bike rides.

Shownotes

1:04  – Having a great culture is a firm differentiator

Mawer’s culture evolution:

1. Charles Mawer: Do the right thing for clients and success will follow
2. 2004: Jim Ware and Focus Consulting (High Performing Investment Teams)

3:18  – Seeing performance culture as a horizontal line: Above the line and below the line behaviours

4:17  – The Secret: Trust

Trust is the vital starting point and leads to above the line behaviours: candour, curiosity, openness of thought

5:30  – Putting frameworks and tools of high performing teams into practise

7:27  – The Secret: Vulnerability and how this leads to value added investment decisions

8:30  – Vijay shares his personal experience

• Worst investment as a 12 year-old
• Being the “token brown kid”

11:37  – The leader decides with input model

13:19  – Frameworks for cultivating culture:

1. Playing to strengths
2. Definition of genius area
3. Setting clear expectations
4. Creating feedback loops 

15:57  – Example of a high performing team: New Zealand All Blacks Steward of the jersey model

18:24  – Measuring the inputs as opposed to the outputs (performance)

19:33  – Incentives:

• Monetary compensation only takes you so far; it’s the content of people’s character that is the true incentive
• It is the role of leadership to put people in the position where they can do meaningful work

24:22  – Getting a job at Mawer and the interview process

27:15  – Where high performing teams go wrong

29:58  – Rapid Fire Round:

1. Best sports travel experience
2. Favourite way to relax
3. What are you reading now?
4. Thatha stories
5. Biggest surprise upon becoming a father

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Related Reads

• Stewards of the Jersey
• Beware the Camel in the Tent
• Money, Meaning and Mindsets:  Radical Reform for the Investment Industry
• High Performing Investment Teams
• Phil Mittertreiner and Potentials Unlimited

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