Two of the biggest challenges everyone faces as they grow their business are first, how to find the best people and second, how to forge them into a killer team. We found some tips that can help you build a winning team and keep them functioning at the top of their game.
One article we found on the Forbes website (www.forbes.com) was written by contributing author John Hall, the CEO of Influence & Co. The article, titled “12 Simple Things A Leader Can Do To Build A Phenomenal Team” provides an even dozen tips that you can use to build and keep your team running smoothly.
One of the dozen points John mentions is to try and position yourself as a thought leader. “Top talent is too good to work for middling companies with weak brands. The more you can position yourself as an authority in your industry, the more talent will naturally be attracted to your business.”
Other items on the list seem like no-brainers but can sometimes be overlooked. For example, trust (in an employee or in you) can be critical to the success of your business. “A team member can be highly intelligent and a hard worker, but if you can’t trust that person, it’s time to let him go. If you keep that person on, you’ll have a bigger problem to deal with when disaster strikes.”
Another obvious point is to recognize that people’s personal lives are important. As John says in the article, “Recognize that your team members have personal lives. It’s easy to take small steps to celebrate birthdays, weddings, or other significant moments in their lives. If you see an opportunity to help a team member outside of work, it pays to take it.” And it’s okay to be friends with your employees as long as you keep a goal-oriented focus and hold people accountable.
Diversity brings innovation turns up as number seven on the list. “To build a great team, you need diverse thinkers. A variety of races, ages, and sexes can help a team think outside the box and hit problems from many different angles.”
You should also try to play to people’s strengths and recognize their weaknesses. But don’t forget to try and help them work on shoring up those areas where they need improvement. In the long run it’s better to have more ‘rounded’ people than a handful of people who can only do one or two things really well.
Another great tip in the article is to invest in your first five hires. As John suggests, “The more time you invest in training your first five hires, the less time you have to spend training the ones who join the company later. Make it a point to set aside time with each member to support him or her so everyone is prepared to show that same support to new employees as your company grows.”
Finally, give recognition when it’s warranted. “Recognize people when they do something extraordinary. It not only gives people a sense of accomplishment, it inspires others to make efforts to go above and beyond their normal duties as well. Even small efforts can make your employees feel appreciated and inspire them to do even more.”
John lists a dozen different things you can do and I’ve only paraphrased a few items from his list. You can read the original article here.
