Building a Team: Obstacles and Opportunities
In my new book, "Best of the Best - Lead Boldly, Scale Rapidly, Create Your Legacy," I’ve dedicated a chapter to the importance of building diverse and capable teams for optimal company growth. I call it FAST FUTURE GROWTH (FOR YOUR TEAMS).
One of the many lessons I’ve learned over the years is that teams excel when members complement each other’s strengths. Think about the people on your team having skill sets that are not necessarily identical, yet they go hand in hand in accomplishing the long-term goals.
The difference between an average business and the “best of the best” lies in the quality of your team and how it is positioned. Consider these three key factors in building a winning team that sets you up for your rapid future growth.
1. Value drives performance
Ensure every team member knows they have value and are respected by the company.
People need to know they are appreciated and feel recognized.
When they do, they will give 100% or more to their company, bosses, and peers.
Make it clear that every team member truly matters.
Whether you're in leadership or support staff, everyone shines brightest when they feel connected to something greater and believe that their efforts really do make a difference.
From leadership to support staff, people perform at their best when they know they’re part of something bigger, and their contribution matters.
Here are some tips on how to drive value and performance from your team members:
Clearly define your goals and success metrics.
Let data drive your planning.
Prioritize clarity and communication in leadership.
2.Attract, build, and position your best-of-the-best team.
Leadership takes a proactive role in team building and nurturing.
Find and retain the right, best people. If you find there is a lot of transition in a team or your company, don’t delay in addressing it. This can reflect your culture and negatively impact your growth.
Talk to your leadership team members about THEIR goals. Remember that each team member is a person too; take the time to get to know them both personally and professionally.
Give your people the tools they need to thrive in their jobs. Hence, set them up for SUCCESS!
3.Make it a company goal to train your leaders of tomorrow.
To build strong leadership in your organization, you have to anticipate that every person is replaceable. By the way, this includes you.
Build in plans and cross-functional capabilities to keep things running smoothly, no matter what.
Find and nurture your leaders of tomorrow.
Identify who your potential leaders are, what skills they need to develop or hone, and how best to train them in these areas, in a systemic way. The more you invest in someone, the more you get out of them. If you don’t develop them, don’t expect them to grow on their own. When we or the company invests energy into their people, the company benefits through growth.
Every obstacle creates a business opportunity.
Someone in sales recently told me, “We’re having a lot of conversations, but people are not making decisions. We're becoming OCD about these conversations.”
…My response: What can you do about that now?
Zero in on the questions and issues that will lead to small decision-making steps:
What can you do to start moving these conversations down the line to decision-making?
What do you need to help make a decision?
What are your pain points?
What's going on this summer in your work world?
Can you create something with a limited scope?
Do you need more prospects?
Do you have enough in your pipeline?
What can you do about AI?
Let’s use AI as an example of an obstacle:
The entire company won't be roboticized overnight. When you ask, 'What can I do?' it’s not just an obstacle; it's an opportunity to address it. Is there an opportunity in AI training? If so, you'll be steadily moving the needle forward. And the needle doesn't move in giant leaps, but in small steps. The accumulation of these small steps is how to achieve results.
A final thought from Best of the Best’s chapter on FAST FUTURE GROWTH (FOR YOUR TEAMS):
“If you want the best of the best in performance, whatever the field or industry, every person on your team is integral to success. An idea is founded by a person. A rapid-growth company is built by the team that grows the idea.”
Explore more of Best of the Best, read it, and complete the worksheet activities. I’m confident it will add value to your business leadership and team-building practice. If you’re reading it, leave a review and let me know what you’re taking away. And if something resonates, pass it forward. Please share it with someone who could use the message or momentum.
P.S. If you've started implementing something from the book, I'd love to hear about it. Shoot me a message—I always love seeing how ideas turn into action.
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You can find Best of the Best - Lead Boldly, Scale Rapidly, Create Your Legacy - on all platforms or wherever you buy books.