by Taz, Founder, Massage Therapist &
Integrative Nutritional consultant of Namaste holistics
www.namasteholistics.com

It is very important as an entrepreneur when creating a team to recruit people who share your vision, understand your personality, and most of all complement your strengths. Having worked on managed teams in my corporate career, I have a strong sense of what works and what doesn’t. Now as an entrepreneur I’ve found it all boils down to four major points, separate but interlinked.

Complementary Skill Sets

When you start your own company, you know how you want everything to be. Most entrepreneurs are unwilling to give up control because they fear things may not be “just right”. However, no one excels at everything. It is important to understand your weaknesses and look for these as strengths in other people. A team should be comprised of people who excel in different areas of the business including information technology, writing, giving seminars, marketing and finding leads. Maybe as a typical entrepreneur you thrive in one area and could muddle through the others, but why not find someone who can produce a much better result than you can in half the time? After all, Liberace did not move his own piano. Because of the complementary skill sets you’ll be able to work as a unit.

Community

I have seen that in order to have a well-oiled team, it must consist of people who function as individuals and don’t feel threatened by the others. Each member excelling in one area contributes to the team’s cohesiveness. It is important to create an atmosphere where all opinions are encouraged, heard and considered. This synergy and interpersonal understanding goes hand-in-hand with an atmosphere of democracy, rather than autocracy, and helps keep motivation high.

Encouragement and Acknowledgment

We all look for that “pat on the back” every once in a while to keep us motivated. Acknowledgment of another’s time and effort, regardless of the outcome, is essential to keeping a well-functioning team in place. It doesn’t matter if the end result is not what you had expected. Expressing gratitude for a team member’s work is essential. Of course this is only possible in an atmosphere of respect.

Open Mind and Open Communication

Try an open-communication policy encouraging each team member to speak up when problems arise. I have experienced how quickly a team can break down when there are hidden animosities and frictions among members coupled with a closed mind. Being able to discuss one’s feelings and perceptions openly despite a disagreement is important for any team.