I personally love this topic because it’s one of the things that most entrepreneurs struggle with the most, because most of them believe they know best and have to do everything. Don’t get me wrong I can feel that way too sometimes but I know I have an area of expertise, and anything that doesn’t fit into that I’m looking for real members to fill those roles.
Finding people can be a challenging task - most times people have so many things they are responsible for, that getting people together can be a challenging task. Which is why often times it is better to start with friends, family members because they know you and conveying your interest and passions to them can often times go smoother than someone new. But finding the right friends and family to bring into your business can be difficult and even more challenging to get everyone on one accord.
Whether it be friends, family, friends of family, family of friends, and people with no connection it’s important to cast a wide vision to show people how they can reach their own goals through focusing on what you want to bring them into.
Casting the Vision
Example:
You: “What do you want out of life?”
Them: “I just want to be happy”
You: “What does that mean to you?”
Them: “Spending time with my family when I want”
You: “Are you able to do that now?”
Them: “No”
You: “Why?”
Them: “I don’t have the time or money” - “Too busy working”
You: “This is why I wanted to meet with you, my vision for my future is.....and here is where I feel you would be an asset, but also if we do things the way we are supposed to, we will be able to accomplish our goals of.... and you spending more time with your family on your terms, not working a lot.”
Simple conversation example - of course people can be more complexed but understanding that casting a vision that other people believe is a give and take process. Understanding what their goals and beliefs are now and how like minded individuals combined together get more accomplished is what that conversation is meant to do.
Remember Martin Luther King had to have dream that was conveyed before a lot of the change was even discussed with the civil rights movement. Even the term movement itself isn’t created unless there is a body of people focusing on the same goal.
The best way to get people to move is to give them a clear path to go. The better, more detailed, but concise your vision, the more people you can attract.
Delegation and Empowering People
Letting go is sometimes one of the hardest things to do - but you have to ask yourself “Do I want to grow this big” whatever your industry, business, project is it will take more people outside of yourself to even complete, let alone scale.
And the businesses that have open forums, checks and balances with a collaborative unit in place, make the best products and provide the best service because every voice matters and people when they know their voice matters they take greater ownership and pride over their work which provide the best results.
How to...
Simple right? Find someone let them know this is their area, give them a title and let them work.
To the cynic that actually is all you’re doing...for the detailed there are some nuance that separate the successful businesses from the non successful.
Focus Group
Having a focus group is a key component to improving your business. Advertisers use it to get feedback, Manufacturers use it to get product reviews, but not often is it used within the organizations itself. Having an open forum to have your employees voice get heard. Often times they are closer to the client, closer on the ground floor so they are giving firsthand feedback to the processes that don’t always work well. It doesn’t have to done all the time but having that be apart of your business will help guide your decision making to improve quality over products, services, and most importantly over morale.
In addition within these groups you will be able to see where your star players are to learn who can accept delegation and what roles may they fit within with ease.
Processing Funnel
Each business has a processing funnel, from start of communication with prospects all the way to retaining them as clients/or follow up for repeat business. This processing funnel allows you as the leader to see where each prospect or client is in each stage within the funnel and also see where people are falling out of the funnel to see what can be improved and made better. Having people in place to improve these areas will improve the process and improve the business. In order to put people in the right place you have to know what each area strengths are needed.
Examples:
Sales something that is earlier in the funnel need someone who can listen well, respond quickly, professional, etc. Who within your circle fits those qualities best...
Customer Service which is later in the funnel may require someone patient, solution oriented, friendly, empathetic, etc. who within your circle fits those best...
Some people may where multiple hats - based on people availability and talents you, but placing your best people in problem areas is key.
Survey/Skills Assessment
This kind of piggy backs off of the last one... how do you know who your best people are, or what personality type they are?
An assessment of their skills or survey of their personality would help guide you. Now these aren’t the end all be all you still want to evaluate the person. But this may give you a grading scale to begin with and help narrow your choices if there are a few candidates in mind. There are thousands of personality test out there; the link below is one that is really thorough.
http://tests.marketpsych.com/test_question.php?id=13%20
History
This is weighed the most, naturally. A persons track record will often times tell you their habits. How a person treats one thing they do is usually how they do other things in life. The ability to sort through these habits as a leader or manager is key to identifying talent and placing the right people in positions for them to succeed.
We covered in house team building - now need to cover partnering team building.
When thinking about your business it’s important to think about what you need to create the processing funnel.
Example: marketing team (in house) May still need IT (contracted) to create and host websites.
In order for marketing to execute its job properly they may need outside assistance from contributors or even outsourced team to build a customer contact acquisition machine. Subscriber list, landing pages, social media pages, grassroots campaigns. If that is the case, finding companies with similarities as yours is important.
Profit and Loss - mutually beneficial to see growth and success
Values/Integrity
Skillset/Expertise
Connections/Track record
The better these areas for both parties better success. If one is too greater than the other results may not be what you had hoped.
The contracted company smaller than you may be vested to show results but not have the resources to provide you the type of results you need.
Contracted company bigger than you, may have the resources, but possible that the “squeeze may not be worth the juice” meaning that they may not be as interested.
All in all make sure you vet whoever you bring in and know that the best way to grow the business you have is to fill the holes in your processing funnel and put people in positions to succeed.
Hope this post meant something to you!
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