What Should Your Dream Team Look Like?

Last week, we talked about hiring people. This week, we'll continue that same conversation because tackling everything on your own is impossible. If you want your business to grow, you're going to need people to help you. The question is who?

In order to figure out which people you should bring aboard the ship, you should take a long, hard look at its captain: you. This may sound a little odd, but consider what value a frank self-examination could have. To do this, an owner, a founder, a manager--whatever you may be--must look at what she or he is good at. Are you a quality networker? Are you well-organized? How is your foresight? If you aren't good at networking, consider bringing someone on board who is. If you struggle when it comes to staying organized, look for an individual that can keep your ship tight and tidy. Struggling when it comes to predicting the future? Hire a person who has an analyzing eye.

By hiring in this manner, you strengthen your team and your company. Here's a bonus too: Bringing on people who buffer your deficiencies may even strengthen you as a leader. It's only a matter of time before you learn a thing or two about networking if you are attending events with your new hire, and paying attention to the organizational skills of that new executive assistant could shed some light on behaviors that have made you less efficient in years past. And what about foresight? Your company may become more predictable as you understand what comparing monthly revenues can highlight, when certain expenses are higher than normal, and what all of those figures truly show, thanks to the analyst you chose to cover your inadequacy in this area.

In Mother Russia, happiness works you! | Courtesy of Happy Worker

Once you have your company's dream team, be sure to give them some wiggle room to fall into their respective roles. You can't have rigid expectations of them or they may move onto a different position at a different company, seeking out the flexibility that allows them to get comfortable. That comfort is something that will hopefully give them the environment they need to spread their wings and show their true value to the operation. Inflexible requirements may stifle this sort of contribution by making an employee feel forced to work or taken for granted, neither of which are a part of a happy workplace. When you've found a way to give your new crew the self-motivation and the flexibility they need to prosper, it's time to make sure that they want to stick with it for the long haul. If your employees love the company and feel fulfilled, it's likely that your workers will feel satisfied, thus giving you a low turnover rate.

Even with a low turnover, you should still go out of your way to remind your employees how important they are. This can come in the form of small gestures such as a "good job" or randomly having lunch catered. It could also be represented by something bigger like a get-together for employee appreciation day or closing down the shop so that employees can give back to the community through a volunteer day. Making sure that you have a quality team on hand is important and keeping their morale high is essential to maintaining that quality.