The Team Behind All of It

A year and a half ago I published content alone with one editor; now more than 10 people are involved. The five principles I use to build a team.

In my previous post I wrote that out of 50 goals for the year, I managed to close 23.

Many of those goals had to do with our media work.

A year and a half ago I started publishing content on my own, with just one video editor helping me.

Then, little by little, a team began to form. Over this year some really great people joined us: content managers, designers, editors, camera and sound operators, co-hosts.

Right now more than 10 people are involved. I want to thank every one of them from the bottom of my heart, because thanks to you a lot of people are improving the quality of their lives through our content.

When I look for someone to join the team, the first things I look at are their values and whether they’re ready to “thaw people out” the same way we do. I wrote about this in more detail in the post “The Source of My Motivation”.

There are a few important principles I use to build a team:

1. We write down every agreement. If it isn’t written down, it doesn’t exist. I record absolutely everything we agree on verbally about working conditions or payment in a separate chat.

2. A high level of transparency. I constantly ask my team for honest feedback on every question, even the small ones. Small things have a way of piling up.

3. I’m always on my team’s side. Clients come in all kinds. Not-so-pleasant people show up too. I will let any client go without hesitation and refund their money if I sense or find out that they are giving one of my people a hard time.

4. It’s important not only to select and motivate people, but also to orient them in the work:

• Why are we doing exactly this?
• Who is our client?
• What prospects and opportunities are there?
• What do we allow in our work, and what is taboo for us?

If these and many other questions are left unanswered, there will be chaos in people’s heads.

5. It’s important to build personal relationships and spend time together. If you sincerely thank people and value their work, then it’s only logical that their attitude toward you will be better than if you only ever make demands and take every result for granted.

Do you like the people you work with?

Continued in Mastermind and the Power of Your Circle.