[ad_1]
The opinions expressed by Entrepreneur contributors are their own.
Life is too short to work with people you don’t get along with.
My co-founder Brendan and I have worked hard to build a team of creative thinkers who enjoy coming to work even when we need to solve difficult problems. Our investment in building that community has paid off. We’re still in the game after 17 years of his.
When your team gets along, there are countless benefits. Innovative ideas flow more freely, people feel free to fail and improve quickly, and customers are happier. Positivity is contagious. Good morale means good product, and good product means good morale.
Establishing a world-class team that produces good things doesn’t happen overnight. You can’t hire a team like this. you build it. Here are his three principles we’ve used for nearly 20 years to build teams that accomplish amazing things.
Related: 7 ways to build high-performing teams
1. Learn to celebrate failure and give feedback
Embracing failure allows you to learn faster and get back on track. Failure is proof that you are doing something right. Even after we hit a wall, we test, learn, exercise our creativity, and move forward efficiently.
To make the most of failure for your company, you need to build a team that is open to feedback. Feedback is a way to make positive changes from failure.
Challenge? Most people cringe when they hear feedback. We associate it with criticism rather than growth. To create a culture that views feedback as an opportunity for growth, leaders must model for their team members how they want to:
A. Receive feedback
B. Give feedback
When it comes to receiving, leaders should welcome employees to comment on how processes, culture, and performance should be improved to improve the business. At Wistia, we love employee surveys. They are effective and easy to implement. I found it advantageous to submit a simple Google form and get a real-time pulse check from a member of my team.
When it comes to giving, the most effective way to create a culture of feedback is to pay close attention to how you give. People respond best to immediate, specific feedback and feedback from people they believe care about them.
Teams that use feedback as a valuable tool set better expectations, align goals, eliminate inefficiencies, and increase collaboration across the organization.
Related: Celebrating Failure: How to Turn Mistakes into Hits
2. Be an open book
Clear communication may seem like an obvious necessity in high-performing teams, but it’s often taken for granted. Unclear communication can quickly undermine a team’s efforts. On the other hand, teams that master accurate communication can achieve amazing results quickly.
At Wistia, we follow an “open book” ethos. All-hands calls share honest information about the state of your company, both good and bad, so everyone sees the big picture. When everyone shares the same vision, they understand the desired destination and the obstacles they face, and are able to creatively solve customer problems.
Standardizing difficult conversations sets the tone for transparent communication within your team. Honesty creates transparency. Avoiding “negative” updates and conversations can hinder your progress when you could be solving difficult problems faster.
Related: 5 examples of companies succeeding through transparency
3. Seek curiosity
When hiring someone to join your talented team, a solid resume is helpful, but curiosity is also essential.
When you’re curious, you’re the type of person who asks “why” until you find a solution or a path forward. Curious people navigate change faster. They find solutions to problems faster. They keep an eye on the competition and look for opportunities even in crisis, with a mission to provide maximum value to their customers.
An inherent willingness to challenge the status quo is one of the most valuable traits needed to stay ahead of the curve in today’s fast-moving markets.
Look for people who ask questions to better understand why something works or doesn’t work. We often include projects as part of the interview process to understand how someone approaches a problem. We look for:
- What questions will they ask?
- How do you identify information gaps?
- How flexible are you working toward a solution?
This project-based interview provides insight into the candidate’s curiosity and approach to work.
The building blocks for building a world-class team start with the hiring process, but are created and cultivated over time. Working to build a high-performing team requires patience, discipline, self-reflection, and a willingness to communicate difficult things. Investing this much effort and time is hard for any leader to do, but if you’re in the business long-term, it’s the most valuable investment you can make for your business.
[ad_2]
Source link
