Creating a Strong Team

I once hired a friend…and I had to fire a friend.  Not pretty. You live and you learn. I made, what I now know to be, crucial mistakes:

I hired a friend. Okay, not necessarily. But, if you do hire a friend/family member, don’t fool yourself into believing that everyone (or anyone?) can separate business and friendship. 

I hired someone with no experience. Enough said.

I hired someone I had doubts about. This is crucial. Don’t fill a position – ever – unless you believe they will succeed. I wanted to believe that my friend could handle the pace, workload and details of my growing business…but I had my doubts. In the end, she was beyond overwhelmed, and I had betrayed my own gut instinct. Everyone felt like a failure. 

I jeopardized my work atmosphere. As things went south with my friend, and tensions rose in the office, my whole staff was miserable. Coming to work felt like a chore. Major mistake.

That’s what didn’t work. What does?

Create a Strong Team. I maintain a highly positive environment at IMD. A potential employee can look great on paper – great education, top-notch quality of work – but if they can’t take a joke, or tell a joke, they don’t belong in my office. (We break into occasional dance around here…) 

Know Your Team Members. There’s a huge difference between a bad employee, and an employee having a bad time. Touch base, continuously. I’ve lent many a’ listening ear, shoulder to ease a burden – and my team is close because of that. I’m never too busy to touch base.

Let Them Thrive. I absolutely love what I do, and I only surround myself with people who feel the same. Know where your employees will succeed. Let salespeople sell, writers write and organizers organize. If they love what they do, they’ll want to work. 

Bottom Line: Creating a Strong Team – with people who are passionate about their work – is an essential element of any truly successful business, and definitely a Kick-Ass one! Did reading this make you feel like patting yourself on the back, or hiding in your closet? Are you an asset to your team?