Building Your Team

A common acronym for team is – together everyone achieves more. I agree, to an extent. You won’t achieve more with just any group of people – you have to have the right team. Surrounding yourself with the right people could be the difference between success and failure – especially in entertainment. Your team should share and support your vision, be knowledgeable, competent and complement your strengths and weaknesses.

How do you pick your team?

First, jot down a list of your strengths and weaknesses. Take your list of weaknesses and identify individuals who are strong in these areas. (If you don’t know anyone personally, ask some of your friends and associates for a referral.)

Then review your list of strengths. Based on your business goals, decide which tasks you should focus on to achieve your objectives. (Although you may be strong in all the areas listed, some of the tasks may be less profitable and therefore not the best use of your time.) Again, identify individuals to whom you can delegate or outsource lower priority tasks.

Evaluate Prospects

Once you have a list of potential team members, begin to evaluate each one individually. How knowledgeable are they? What experience do they have with the tasks you need them to perform? Are they trustworthy and reliable? Are they self-motivated or resourceful? Will they take initiative or do you need to micromanage them? Think about your work-style and which characteristics will complement your operations. Eliminate the people that you do not think will be a good fit.

Meeting/Interview

Once you’ve narrowed down your prospect list, contact the remaining potential teammates and schedule a meeting/interview. At the meeting, share your business goals/objectives and explain your needs. If you have them, share some samples of previous work. (Be sure to get a non-disclosure agreement signed before sharing business details.) Get feedback from your prospect. Listen to their response and pay attention to their body language. Are they excited about your vision and goals? Do they already have suggestions and ideas? If so, talk to them about moving forward. Let them know your situation, share your expectations and confirm their interest in joining your team. If they are less than enthusiastic and you sense hesitation, perhaps it’s not a good fit and you should move on.

Make it Official

Once you’ve made your selection, finalize it by signing the appropriate documents. For example, employees could sign an employment contract and W-4. Contractors could sign a service agreement and complete a w-9. You may also want to have an operations manual and job description to give to the member(s) of your team.