5 Effective Team Building Tips for Startups
A startup emerges from a business idea or a solution that you have. After you raise the seed capital, do the market surveys and set up the basic infrastructure to get the activities going, you need to start thinking of a team that will look after various divisions of the company. Quality human resources are an important asset of any firm and they need to work as a team to deliver the best results.
In a globalized market which is quite competitive and rewards innovation, each team member is a vital link of the chain and even one of them can spoil the show.
Here are five tips to team building for start ups
1. Divide Responsibilities Between Founders
If you have one or more co-promoters in the venture, divide the tasks among yourselves. One person may be good in finance, the other in marketing, technology, administration and so on. Once you divide the tasks, building a team is much easier. You have to find out people who can complement you as well as have skills so that you don’t have to cover all the areas in the organization.
2. When Hiring, Focus on Team Players
When hiring, analyse resumes and during personal interviews, look for people with adequate skills but more capability to work in a team. Perhaps you could seek the help of someone who can be a good judge of such traits. Look for communicative ability and the previous track record of activities and attitude –whether egocentric or broad minded.
3. Make Them Creative and be Stakeholders
As a startup, it may not be possible to give industry-level salaries and perks. However, this can be made up by providing adequate freedom to do projects, making best use of their creative talents and also offering a stake in the company either as stock options or shareholding. When they get the feel that they are part owners in the venture, their commitment will also be 100%.
4. Listen to the Team Leaders and Give Rewards
It is very important to maintain an uninterrupted channel of communication with the team leaders as you have to inform them of the strategic changes and issues faced in the market and targets. They in turn will guide their team to achieve the desired objectives. Ensure that outstanding employees are rewarded for their work but at the same time, avoid competition and comparison among them.
5. Set an Example Yourself
Your team members see you as a role-model and therefore, you have to live up to it. Discipline, motivation and desire to work hard can be inculcated in the team leaders and employees only when you are seen to be punctual, communicative and goal-oriented. Ensure that you have regular meetings on weekly or monthly basis to assess the progress and sort out the issues. If you are travelling, conference calls can help you keep in touch with your key team players.
Any business organization will thrive only when each employee and manager feels himself as a part of the team and works united for a common purpose. When you have open communication channels with your team, the chances of groupism, rivalry, petty politics inside the organization can be eliminated. Each department is a pillar and each employee a foot solider of your corporate army. The success of your startup venture is dependent on how strong the pillars and foot soldiers are. Effective communication between departments can ensure that no work or project is delayed.
