5 Keys to Building Your DREAM Team

This is the fourth chapter of a five-part series entitled “The Five Keys to Building Your Dream Team.”

• Key one dealt with the importance of hiring top-quality talent.
• Key two highlighted the importance of properly marketing your career opportunity so it’s found by your ideal candidate(s).
• Key three discussed the importance of building your business as a desired landing spot for top performers.

At this point, you’ve successfully defined your ideal candidate, marketed the position in ways that spoke to your ideal candidate, as well as attracted and hired your ideal candidate. Congratulations!

This chapter builds on the discussion about creating a compelling and empowering company culture by focusing on what you, as the leader, specifically need to do. I’ll highlight three areas where you, as the owner, have direct influence over the longevity of your employees: inspiring, delegating to, and coaching your team.

Build on New Hire’s Excitement

The most, or one of the most, exciting days your new hire will have is their first day on the job. They have joined your company because they saw more potential for career advancement than if they had stayed in their former position. They come to you with high hopes and expectations.

You must avoid doing things that might cause them to regret their decision. This can easily happen if they feel ignored, under-appreciated, or neglected during their first four to six weeks. Here’s an example of how onboarding could result in the new hire questioning their decision:

Susan arrives for her first day at XYZ Accounting Company and is greeted by the receptionist, who is unaware that the company has hired Susan. The company owner has not arrived, so Susan waits in the reception area for 30 minutes. Once the owner arrives and welcomes Susan, they take Susan to her new office. The office is sparse: no computer, office supplies, or appropriate seating. Susan spends the morning completing forms with HR and returns to her desk around lunchtime. Since no one has invited Susan to lunch, she goes by herself. Later in the afternoon, Susan meets with the company owner again but spends the rest of her day at her desk looking for work.

As a top performer, Susan would be second-guessing her decision by the end of that first day. The company owner and their staff sent her a clear message that she is on her own and should expect little support.

So, here’s what should always happen.

Susan arrives for her first day at XYZ Accounting Company and notices a sign in the lobby welcoming her to the team. The receptionist welcomes Susan by her first name and takes her to her office, which is fully equipped with any supplies she may need. On the desk is a welcome packet that provides Susan with background information on XYZ Accounting, how it’s different than other local accounting firms, and a directory of all employees with their phone numbers and e-mail addresses. Shortly after arriving, the company owner stops by to welcome Susan and to express how excited she is to have Susan on board. After meeting with HR, the owner takes Susan to lunch and outlines Susan’s schedule for the next three weeks – who she will be meeting with as well as going to lunch with. As opposed to the Susan in the first example, this Susan goes home excited that she’s made a very good decision in moving to your company and looks forward to Day 2 with you and your team.

The Susan in this second version has a vastly different onboarding experience. The difference is that the owner has taken the time to create a first impression of XYZ Accounting that builds on Susan’s excitement. It doesn’t take much time, but the impact on the new hire can be dramatic.

Inspire Your Team

A recent research project by Bain & Company found that inspired employees are twice as productive as merely satisfied employees because they are more engaged, motivated and committed then the just-satisfied employees . Top performers want to work for inspiring leadership, so the question is, “How do business owners take on the mantle of inspiring leadership?” Here are a couple of ways:

• They have a clear vision for where their business is headed; the more inspiring the vision, the more it motivates the team.
• They lead by example.
• They are transparent, upfront, and honest in their communication with their team.
• They set individual and team goals to guide the team towards the company’s vision.
• They create supportive environments that encourage both personal and team growth.
• They don’t micro-manage but trust their team with delegation.
• They are empathetic and take time to get to know each team member. They understand their teams’ strengths, areas needing improvement, and outside challenges.
• They recognize the power of publicly acknowledging and rewarding work accomplishments.
• They create an environment where the team feels comfortable and is encouraged to share ideas.

Leaders who inspire in these ways create a company whose culture appeals to and excites high performers. Those employees, in turn, are more productive because they feel valued and appreciated.

Delegate and Empower

Top performers want to feel supported and that you trust them with delegated work. If you do not delegate work to your employees, they may start to lose confidence and question the company culture. You likely started your business because you enjoy being hands-on in your line of work. This can create problems for some business owners who believe “nobody can do it as well as I can.” Owners with this mentality have a job, not a business. If this is okay with you, that’s perfectly fine – but top performers won’t work for you. Additionally, it’s unlikely that you will be able to scale your business.

If you are looking to advance your business, you need to hire top performers, train them, and trust them with delegated work. Yes, of course, your employees will make the occasional mistakes. This is normal for someone learning a new skill. But with your support and training, they will become excellent contributors and will free up massive amounts of time for you to focus on the growth of your business.

Top performers want to work at a business where the owner supports their professional growth and invests time in the company's success. By letting go a little bit and delegating to your team, you will be surprised at the success your business can achieve.

Final Thoughts

This chapter builds on the discussion about creating a compelling and empowering company culture by focusing on what you as the leader specifically need to do. I’ve highlighted three areas where you as an owner have direct influence over the longevity of your employees, building on their excitement, inspiring, and delegating to your team

The final chapter in this five-part series will explore how to effectively coach and communicate with top performers to bring out the best in each team member.

I specialize in helping business owners build superior teams. Call me at (404) 444-1836 or book time on my calendar at https://calendly.com/jefflovejoy/recruiting-and-hire-conversation, and let’s discuss your situation. I will be happy to share some ideas and strategies that have been successful for my business-owner clients.