Business Strategy

Mark Gilbert ATN – Tips on Building a Great Team

Something which so many leaders get wrong is in the building of a great team around them, and this is an absolutely essential part of being a leader and running a business. My mentor Mark Gilbert ATN founder and all round business guru, taught me a great deal about running a business and creating a great team was always something that he would give huge amounts of energy and attention to. In fact when I began my business, this was also something which I worked very hard on, because I had seen the way that Mark went about putting together a great team. If you have a business or you are head of recruitment at a business, this is what you should be focussed on when it comes to creating a great team

Sum of Parts

The biggest mistake that so many people make when they put together a team, is focusing only on what the individual can do and how much talent or ability they have. If you have a football team which plays a one off game and is comprised of the best players from around the world, 11 players from 11 different teams, they are likely to lose against a team who have played together for years and who know each other inside out, regardless of how much better each individual on the opposition is. You have to get characters and personalities which mesh well, of course you need them to be capable and talented, but you need to always think about the team dynamic rather than the quality of the individuals. 

Competitive

The very best teams have a competitive streak in them, healthy competition between themselves, and a united vision to be competitive against other teams. If you don’t have this then you aren’t going to have a team which pushes each other to be their best. It is vital that you have a couple of people in your team with ambition who will drag the rest forward. 

Little Leaders

A great team should have a number of leadership figures within it, these are going to be essential when it comes to keeping the team on track and making sure that they are fully focused on delivering on their instructions. These leaders will act as the mouthpiece for the leader and they will ensure that things keep sailing smoothly. 

Swiss Army Knife

Every team should have one or two people in it who can perform in a number of roles within the team dynamic. This could be heading up a project, doing the legwork, doing admin, acting as a go-between or overseeing the whole operation. These team players are going to be absolutely essential, and you should ensure that you work hard to try and find them. 

If you put the time and energy into building a great team then it will pay huge dividends once they all begin working together for you. 

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