How to Build a Team for Long-Term Growth

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Hiring the right team members is one of the key factors almost every business owner can control; while simultaneously creating the greatest impact to your business' long-term growth and success. 

Great teams work for a common goal, enjoy the experience of sharing responsibilities as well as understand and respect the hierarchy within the company; So if you are able to bring the ideal people together, you will immensely increase your business' trajectory towards a path of growth and scalability for the medium and long term. 

What do you need to take into consideration when building your own dream team? Let’s take a look:

1 - Set the company’s expectations. 

Be clear about their individual and team goals. Let them know the ground rules and the type of atmosphere you want to establish in your company. If your team is supposed to share responsibilities, problems, and possible solutions, be sure to have a clear company workflow and process. This cannot be overlooked especially pertaining to new team members, immediately upon arrival, be clear and communicate your expectations for them. 

2 - Value their individual work, even though it is a team. 

A great team needs strong individuals. They will be strong if they feel valued, not only for being part of the team but for what they do and represent as individuals. If you honor and respect them for their unique inputs and abilities that help the team achieve your common goals, the team will be rock solid. 

3 - Encourage respect among team members. 

Competition within companies could be beneficial but can be dangerous if it leads to disrespect among colleagues. Help your team members to understand that those people around them are not their rivals, but actually business partners working with them to achieve common goals, and also their own individual success. 

4 - Learn what motivates your team members. 

Open the door to emotional intelligence. Every person has one or several different motivating factors. Embrace each one of their realities and make their specific differences an asset for you to use in different moments. You want a team with different backgrounds, different ways of approaching problems, and finding solutions. 

5 - Try to be positive. 

Shaping behavior with positive reinforcement tends to be more effective than doing so with a negative approach. Learn how to criticize their work in a constructive way, so making mistakes does not become a reason to be shameful in the workplace. Focus on what they do well and encourage them to keep working that way. 

6 - Let them know where they stand. 

Communicate effectively and consistently with your team members. Assume they want to know if the company is happy with the work they are doing and if they need to improve on anything. Do not leave anything up in the air. If there is something they need to know about their performance, positive or negative, communicate it remembering what we mentioned in point number five to keep that working relationship healthy. 

7 - Reward them for their positive outcomes. 

Find ways to show your gratitude and trust. Depending on the size of the company and what is a real possibility for you, your team members will value it if you show them how much you value what they are doing. It doesn’t have to be large amounts of money. Simple gestures like letting them make decisions in key points or allowing them to use the credit card company can work as a reinforcement. Show you’re paying close attention to their behavior and performance. 

8 - Find a diverse team that you can trust. 

Diverse minds and behaviors will help your team to face and overcome their difficulties. Your team members will be your company’s ambassadors, so make sure you trust them thinking about their potential to stay for a long time in your company. 

These should help you to lead the team of your dreams and have great results with them. Your values, goals, and code of ethics will be their values, goals, and code of ethics, and they will be much more than just simple co-workers. Cultivate your team members and you will be able to enjoy years of success. 

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