Before the start of a game and during a game its team members get together to huddle, to discuss strategy make a plan and determine execution. Business is not different. A successful business has the proper team assembled to carry out a business plan. Even a sole proprietor has a team, only that team is comprised of consultants that are hired to carry out specific tasks. In a way the sole proprietor has the right idea. Hire the person who is best suited to do the work that is required. In essence, the sole proprietor has delegated work to the members of a team who are working together to ensure the proprietor's success. In sports, especially in basketball, the ideal combination of players is called a Dream Team. Why, because they appear to be perfectly balanced. A player that does lousy on the free-throw line, but is an amazing three-point shooter is paired with another who has great free-throw percentages, but has never scored from downtown. See how it works? In business it works much the same way. Only the criterion is a bit different. How does one assemble a true entrepreneurial 'dream team'? It begins with synergy. Synergy is an awesome word that means that the sum of all parts is greater than the whole. That is the beauty of a dream team. The value that each member of the team brings to the table is crucial to the overall success of the team. Synergy is the common element of the team. It is the strength that is formed from a shared vision, purpose and heart that each member of the team possesses. Dream teams are built one person at a time. From a list is made of all of the people that are known and trusted. People that share values, ideas and goals. Or ones that are the yin to your yang. Dreams teams should consist of people that you don't mind working with, whose input you value, and who enjoy working with others for a common goal. Is the team easy to put together? It could be once you've identified the components of each successful team. In The One Minute Millionaire, Hansen and Allen discussed the research performed by Allen Fahden and Marie West as a tool to help the right team be assembled. According to West and Fahden, there are four main types of project driven work: Solutions, Strategies, Analysis and Results. They also state that there are four main types of workers: Hares, Owls, Turtles and Squirrels. Hares ... Generate Ideas
Owls ... Prioritize and Plan Strategies
Turtles ... Believe in Traditions, Proven Ideas, and Veto Risky Undertakings
Squirrels ... Methodical, Detail-Oriented Together, the four types of work are performed by the four types of workers. Thus, each ideal dream team should have members that like to do the four types of work, and whose spirits soar because their work is directly in line with their personalities. Just close your eyes and think for a moment. Envision someone who is very organized. Are they results driven? Probably so, meaning they love to be able to cross that accomplishment off their list at the end of the day. Once your team is assembled, work should be distributed according to the passion of the individual members. Because the team is in perfect balance, every type of worker is accounted for, so each type of work should be covered by the ideal person to handle it. Thus, no one should be stuck with a job that they will truly despise. Can you imagine how much happier your team members will be when they are asked to do something that they truly enjoy, something that comes naturally to them, and fuels their passion? Think of how much success can be achieved just from this process alone. A properly assembled dream team is the foundation to a successful business. |
