Starting a Business - Part 10
Are you of the mindset that if you want something done right, you have to do it yourself? We know it's not easy to relinquish control of a business you've poured your soul into but when the workload becomes too much we strongly encourage you to start building a team.
Successful people utilize others while most other people figure they can do it by themselves. Of course, it pays to attract the right people from the start.
What you want is a team with synergy, meaning they “produce a combined effect greater than the sum of their separate effects”. Think of a baseball team with great synergy. They go much farther than a team with a great pitcher, a great catcher, etc. A team with the skills AND the synergy can make amazing things happen.
To help you achieve better synergy, it helps if people on the team have similar values and share a common goal. To get good people in your business, you must be able to communicate a clear vision and mission.
Your best employees will perform best when you give them a piece of the pie - revenue or profit. Paying based on performance and results is a huge motivator.
Actions you need to take to create the right team around you.
Have a clear vision.
Plan a clear strategy.
Establish routines that minimize complexity.
Identify the skills needed. Be very detailed in what you’re looking for.
Find people better than you in the areas you need help in.
Show recognition and appreciation for good work bus also good teamwork.
Be a great leader. “Implementing extreme ownership requires checking your ego and operating with a high degree of humility. Admitting mistakes, taking ownership, and developing a plan to overcome challenges are integral to any successful team.”
- Jocko Willink and Lief Babin
There are several dichotomies in leadership that you need to balance. Take extreme ownership but empower others. Be disciplined but not rigid. Be a leader and a follower. Be humble but not passive. As the saying goes, be humble or get humbled.
Leaders Learn to Negotiate. Create commonality, state a win-win intention upfront, and ask for what you want. Know your wants and musts going in. Listen, listen, and listen some more to what they want and what they don’t want. Then you can present a solution that gives what they want while getting what you need. You don’t just get things you want because you deserve them, you have to ask for them.
Only negotiate win-win deals. Don’t personally attack people, instead, say “That’s really not gonna work for me right now. Can we try another way?”
Leaders Make Decisions. You have to learn to commit to a decision. You will never have all the information upfront. Not making a decision is still a decision with its own set of consequences. Always work from your desired outcome or end result, and make the decision that seems to support or be in alignment with the outcome you want.
Having a team is important for growing a business. Businesses thrive when they have a diverse team of people who can contribute to brainstorming, solving problems, and coming up with creative ways of doing things. Not to mention, having a team to help lighten your workload will allow you to keep your focus where it needs to be. Building amazing synergy within a team doesn’t happen overnight. Work to foster a positive work environment and collaboration. What winning teams have you been a part of and what were the elements that made it awesome?
Check out Starting a Business - A Guide for the Online Entrepreneur for a summary of this blog series and what you can expect to learn each week.
Do you need help aligning all aspects of your business so your message is clear, concise, creative, and speaks to your ideal customer? If you answered YES, book an introductory consultation to learn how we can help you! We will speak with you to learn all about your business goals and needs during this free call. Should you choose to work with us, we promise to save you time and any frustration that can come along with having a business.
Some of our services include:
Strategizing
Brand Messaging
Copy & Content Writing
Logo & Web Design
Digital Marketing
Social Media
At Evoke Creative, we are here to help you, help them.