Team Building

A critical asset: A good team is one of the most important assets of a business. In fact, it might be the most important. Your staff, they come first before your clients. A good team will lead to good client relations.

Sharing a common vision: All members of your staff, your team must share a common vision. If you asked each of your staff to describe the goals and the purpose of your company, and how those goals are being reached, they should each give you essentially the same description. If they do not do this then you have a problem. You do not have a team with a shared vision.

All of your staff is in sales: All your staff will undoubtedly come into contact with clients either directly or indirectly. The impressions made by staff on clients affect sales. All staff should know this and live it.

Each staff person should feel he or she has a stake in the company: All your staff is your partners and each staff person should feel he or she has a stake in the company. Do you have or are you planning on having some form of shared ownership. Do you have a process in place for staff to submit ideas and do you encourage and reward idea submissions.

Do you know how to select partners? Essential parts of your team are your senior partners, who will often serve as your senior executives. Do you know how to select partners? What follows is a set of guides taken from CHECKLISTS FOR SUCCESS by Robert Sullivan, author of "The Small Business Start-Up Guide" located at: http://www.isquare.com/cklists.cfm#partner In choosing the right partner you must consider a number of factors. If you chose your partner wisely you will share the risk and alleviate some of your anxiety that is part of going it alone. Here are some factors to consider when selecting your partner: Do not be quick to make a decision. An ineffective partner is much worse than no partner at all. When you have picked a partner, the next step is to formally (with the help of an attorney) lay out respective responsibilities of each partner. Plan to the extent possible, for unforeseen circumstances. Here is a checklist: Does this person bring expertise I don't have to the business? Does this person share my values, ethics, and goals for the business? This is very important! You must not hesitate to bring up these issues in initial discussions with your potential partner. If your partner's idea of business is to get rich quick at the expense of others, you might want to reconsider. Discuss with the potential partner both your short and long term business goals and determine if they mesh with his or hers. Better you find out about possible incompatibilities before making any formal commitments. If the partner is a spouse, does he or she share my same convictions about starting and operating a business? Does the potential partner share my qualities as an entrepreneur? Does this person have family or other personal problems? Be frank and ask the question! You are going to have enough problems with the new business and you cannot afford the additional stress that is brought on by non-business problems as well. How well do you know your potential partner? Like a marriage, you are going to be working together through good and bad times. Don't be too quick to get involved with someone who is just a casual acquaintance. Has this person been in a partnership before? How did it go?

Selecting a partner can be a tricky business I recall making a terrible mistake in the selection of a partner in one of my former companies. This gentleman presented himself as an experienced businessman; I found out later that he essentially had no or very little experience. He also implied that he came from a wealthy background. That did not lead to an investment in the company. So basically I was very naive and paid a heavy price. He was lazy and obstructive and turned out to be worse than no partner at all. I finally got rid of him.

In a subsequent business, I asked an established businessman to recommend someone to me and I described the qualities I needed in my potential partner. My selection was far more successful and our partnership thrived but it was still not without its challenges, and that raises an important issue.

If things go too smoothly and you and your partners never disagree, you are most likely in trouble. The last thing you need is everybody "yessing" everybody else to death. If there is no friction, then there is no heat, if no heat, then no energy. You do not need a partner who is a mirror image of yourself. You need partners who complement your skills with different skills and a different perspective.

My main partner and I often disagreed completely and only by going through a process, sometimes a painful and lengthy process that finally led to a resolution that did not compromise our respective views were we able to reach a productive solution that satisfied both views.

Distrust: There is one particular poison that can seriously infect a good team, namely, fundamental distrust. I faced that problem with two of my most senior people in my company. They each viewed the other with great distrust. I was constantly pointing out the illogical nature of their opinions of each other. It didn't help It was a great strain.

Each one brought a very different set of skills to the operation. One distrusted the motivation of the other and the other questioned the value of the other's skills. So I acted as the go between and used a combination of promises and threats to keep things moving. They both trusted me and that helped.

People skills are essential: Being a good listener and showing the other that you are listening is also essential. Very often we must learn to listen; listening is a skill--listening without judging.

You must also learn to select what battles are worth fighting. Maybe you don't need to impose certain rules or procedures so rigidly that staff are irritated and annoyed all week. Ask for staff feedback as an approach to seeking a solution. If you are annoyed by something, tell the staff and ask them if anyone has an idea how we might solve the problem which might turn out to be your problem.

We had an office full of computer equipment. The general rule was no food or drink at the computer terminals. The rule was broken constantly. I cannot recall any computer being brought to its knees by a spilled cup of coffee or a squashed muffin. So the rule remained on the books and was constantly ignored. We survived and thrived.

Reinforce the shared vision: Every chance you get, reinforce the shared vision. It cannot be some set of platitudes. It must be real, it must be shared, it must arouse passion. The feelings that a good entrepreneur has for his staff can be likened to love, a deep affection and concern.

Loyalty: Loyalty to an enterprise is less and less evident in the business world. If you can develop a loyal team dedicated to a shared vision, then you have accomplished a lot. Of course, good financial rewards, recognition for work well done are important. Learn to say thank you. It is often more important than more money.

Local Team Building 'super-car' Hope that hybrid SUV will reach 100 mpg (Today's News-Herald)
Except for its bright green exterior, at the moment this late 1980s Chevy Blazer looks pretty much like any other gas-guzzling, pollution-spewing sport utility vehicle on the road.

Color Me On Announces Alliance with Long Branch Farms Enables a Unique Country Theme-Based Training and Team Building ... (PRWeb)
Color Me On® Corporation, a leader in providing training and team building services using 4-color personality assessments, today announced their latest affiliation with the Long Branch Farms located in the Half Moon Bay region of Northern California. (PRWeb Mar 19, 2008) Read the full story at http://www.prweb.com/releases/2008/03/prweb781824.htm

Team-Building fall costly (Appeal-Democrat)
A teacher who shattered her ankle when she fell while lowered to the ground after successfully crossing a 30-foot-high catwalk for a team-and-trust-Building conference will be paid $400,000 in a lawsuit settlement.

EL getting jumpstart at Disney World (New Age Examiner)
DIMOCK - The Elk Lake High School softball team will get set for the 2008 season with a trip to Disney World, Orlando, Fla.

Volkswagen completes Euroseries line-up. (Crash.net)
Cheng fills eighth and final seat.

Neighbors Day is coming April 12 (Houston County News)
While piles of snow still dominate the landscape, spring cleanup may still be the last thought on your mind. However, within a month, the snow will be gone, leaving behind the mess it's hidden for the past five months. And for those who may need a little help getting the yard back in order before the first leaves bud, volunteers are waiting to help.

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