Episode #136 – How To Build Your Team

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I think this was my least favourite topic for the longest time.

I think that this really made me shiver when I had to think about going out there and finding people to support me and help build my career or business, because for the longest time it felt really forced and unnatural.

And that’s most likely because I had a really skewed version of what building a team was.

I felt like it meant finding people who wanted to help me solely and that felt wrong to me and that was what I was seeing others do and it felt wrong when I was in their circle as well.

But after having been a coach for the last 4 years now I completely understand that teams are about every single person not the person who maybe considers themselves the central person.

But I’m a really great place with this and I”ve helped others be in a really great place with this and so I wanted to break it down so you can use this information on today’s podcast to “Build Your Team”.

I think the biggest problem and misdirection we have with many of our goals is the literal translation of them to tasks.

So what I mean by that is that if we are lacking income many of us will go out there and just intently focus on income, making a dollar instead of a lot of the perifieral things that would help us create more income indirectly. 

For example what if you stopped focusing on making money this year and focused solely on building relationships in the industry – what is likely to happen is that your income will increase as a result of those relationships.

But it’s so tempting to just try to book gigs and try to go directly to the income creation. When a really solid new relationship with someone influential might actually bring you 5 new gig opportunities.

So this theory holds true when it comes to building a team also.

I think often we focus on the people we think we want in the team who seem like they have something big to offer us! 

So you need them on your team because they have this, this and this.

But if you’re that person why do they need to be a part of the team?

There needs to be the opportunity for them to win also.

Who here has been part of a team or community where it’s built by a central person and it’s all about that central person winning?

Who wants to stay on the team forever? Only the person winning?

I have been a part of groups where it’s clear that one person is saying “what can you do for me?” and even if they do try to do something for you it indirectly helps them also. It just isn’t motivating.

Now who has been part of a team where you feel that everyone on the team gets to benefit from being part of it?

That is one hell of a team when that happens.

And it takes you as the builder of that team to realize and recognize what can be done so that everyone has a chance to win from their involvement in it.

Sometimes the win isn’t perfectly and evenly distributed but if the general consensus and feeling isn’t that we are all winning from this then it’s the wrong team and you start to get people who become disheartened or disgruntled that they aren’t valued in the team, or they aren’t seeing the benefits of being on the team.

Sometimes friendships are this one sided. One is leaning on the other so hard and so unbalanced that sooner or later only one person is benefiting from the relationship whether it be physically or emotionally.

So if you don’t currently feel like you have a team that works this way and you want one, how do you create it?

Step 1: Current Situation

Look at the people you currently have surrounding you, and see who and what is benefiting from the arrangement. I think often when we are making these types of very difficult decisions whether it be to stay connected to someone in a business type relationship we make it emotionally. I’m asking you to take a step back from that and say “what are everyone’s benefits from this team?”. Maybe you have someone on your team that is not working well or the exchanges don’t feel good and you’re upset about it so you just want to part ways, it may be time to take a moment to look at it logically before making that decision.

Is there an opportunity for you to change direction slightly in a way where you win and that person wins? Is there no opportunity for that at this moment?

Step 2: Building a New Team…ongoing

When you get into a new project is often when you gain new team members.

If that’s what’s going on for you right now ask yourself if you want to have this new person on your team right now?

Is this what you want?

Even if you’ve hired them they are on your team, what are they getting from you other than money?

Step 3: Always Be a Great Team Member

No one says just because you have a great team that everything is going to be easy all the time, but it’s easier if you strive to be a great team member.

Communicate well

Put yourself in others shoes

Be honest with your team but always be kind in the process

Do what you say you will whenever you can

Step 4: Understand that you are PART of their team too…

Thinking at any time that you have a team and that’s the end I think is dangerous thinking.

Because it draws the line of forgetting that every single team member that you feel is on your team also has their team, and you are just one little part of that team.

And in really amazing circles that is how it should always be.

Know that you are part of the team, this isn’t just people that are propping you up, you are there to be a part of their success as well.

It can be easy to think in the music industry that you are face or the artist and therefore everyone works for you and start thinking more and more what are they doing for me! I’m the one, I’m the artist, I’m the central figure.

Often in very successful careers of one person there are others who are on many teams, and that person is just one of them. 

There is a whole group of people working for each other and winning.

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