Some people work best when they’re alone.
But, even the loners need a sounding board from time to time. The more time we spend with teams, the more we realize that great art gets better when the right team is built. When we couple a great team with talent, vision, and hustle, there really is no ceiling for what can happen.
So how do we know we are building the right team? Here are ten clues:
1. Surround yourself with people you like to work with. There is nothing worse than being in a high stress situation and not enjoying the team that you are doing life with.
2. Find people who care passionately. If members are renters and not owners, it will breed frustration.
3. Respect the unique. Each person brings a different and unique tool box to the job each day. Respect the difference. Diversity creates better creative concepts.
4. Individuals united under one vision. Know where we are going, make it clear, repeat it often, and make sure everyone can buy into that direction. If not, they should move on.
5. Be clear. Define roles and expectations so everyone knows exactly what’s expected of them.
6. Trust Matters. If we can’t trust each other we will always start to wonder if intentions and motivations are pure.
7. People who can talk. We have to have teammates who can communicate, be clear, and be willing to have real and sometimes uncomfortable conversations without it becoming personal, unless it’s personal.
8. Identify people who understand the opportunity in front of us and have a sense of urgency without having a sense of panic.
9. Learners. People who desire to learn. Learners find out what is coming, better ways of doing what we do, and make creative teams much more creative.
10. Talent matters too. You can have all nine of the above traits, but without talent, everyone will become frustrated.
What are some of the clues you look for when creating a team.
Question for you: How many people do you limit your creative team(s) to?
I co-lead the creative team at the church where I work & there are times when I feel there are too many people around the table, mind you everyone around that table is talented in one area or another.
If I could; though there is no number that works better, the real way to achievable results is to have strong leaders within a group, so that they can move an active idea forward, marshaling resources, and tabling things that are not doable in the present, but keeping them alive nonetheless.
Dan, Edward is so right. Some venues create space for more people (Brianstroming) and others require focused & empowered leaders (editing).