I have been giving a lot of thought to the idea of teamwork in business lately. Probably because I have been spending many days alone in an office without a whole lot of interaction. One thing that is saving me from mental blowout is my Skype chat interactions with my Idea Anglers business partner, Neal Rohrbach.
Neal and I make a great team. We intuitively understand each other, despite never having met in person. We both have creative energy that allows us to bounce ideas off each other and move our business plans forward. That is something that I don’t have, at least not on a daily basis, at the family business. Everyone is too tied up in their own tasks to really interact on a creative level.
Having a great team can radically alter your business and your life. In fact, I often hear investors talking about the team as the most important aspect they consider when deciding whether to take a chance on a start up. So, what makes a great team?
The very best teams have skills that compliment one other. They have great trust in each other. Also, and this may be the most important component, they constantly energize one another.
Without Neal, I would have never moved past the idea stage with Idea Anglers. Together, we are constantly pulling each other forward and reigniting the fuel of dreams that got the whole project started. This is what good teamwork should do. A team is an engine that doesn’t run out of gas.
There are, of course, dangers in business partnerships. Sometimes, things go bad. If you are building a business with partners, be sure to have everything clearly laid out legally ahead of time. Always use your head, this is business after all.
That being said, no business is ever exceptionally successful without some level of teamwork. Whether you have business partners or a great team of employees, working together is the way to succeed. And that is another key to a good team. Everyone is in it together, in the same game with the same goal to win.
I hear a lot about solopreneur’s and one-person armies. For some of my start ups, it is just me and my lonesome self. There is nothing wrong with getting started by yourself. It may be a while before you hire your first person. Heck, you may never hire anyone as your employee. But let me tell you this. You need to start building your team from day one. Whether you will hire people full-time, use contractors and consultants, or whether you will just build a network you can go to for advice, you need the input of a team.
Start building your team now if you don’t have one. If you do have one, start improving it. If you have employees, do you have a true sense of teamwork, or is everyone just busy doing their individual tasks? If you don’t have employees or partners, start building your network, both offline and online. Find a mentor and lots of friends who are successful in small business. Then, don’t be shy about tapping them for advice.
Consider this. You should start a board of advisers for your business. This is a volunteer board with no power in your business. It should be made up of people who you respect who are successful. You can go to them for advice, share business plans, and more. They can provide you with the valuable feedback of an outside perspective.
Take some time to work on your team. The benefits will be tremendous for your business.
photo credit: popofatticus
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Bradford Shimp is the publisher of All Biz Answers. He is also the co-creator of Idea Anglers, a place to see your ideas come to life through collaboration. Follow on Twitter @bradfordshimp. Let Bradford help you with your business – visit BroadRiverCreative.com
