7 Keys to Building Your Dream Team

Being a phenomenal leader isn’t about the leader – it’s about the team. To create a successful and innovative team, you need to be flexible and able to collaborate with team members who may be your complete opposite. It’s about finding their strengths and focusing on how to leverage their unique talents to improve the entire team. From recruitment to retirement, these are the seven keys for successful team development to keep in mind: 1. Thoughtful Recruiting The process of recruiting new team members cannot be rushed. To find the best employees for your team, you need to determine your business’ unique needs. Refuse to settle until you find the perfect fit. It can help to develop specific competencies that your next hire needs to possess. Establishing these criteria and interviewing candidates several times for a position are essential to the team building process. 2. Initial Training Make the development of individual team members your top priority. Leading is more than teaching the mechanics of a role. Show your enthusiasm and teach your employees how to maintain high-energy attitudes. Business school teaches the rules, not how to be a top employee. Your employees already have the professionalism and passion, they just need to learn the correct mentality and receive support while they build the business. 3. Promoting Collaboration All of your team members have unique strengths and weaknesses. Use them to your advantage. By placing each team member in a position that harnesses strengths and downplays weaknesses, you ensure that everyone is successful and able to reach their full potential. Encourage collaboration – this is the key to innovation. 4. Having a Passion For People Have fun. Get out of the office! Celebrate work and personal successes. Once you understand your team members and what they enjoy, you’ll start to feel like a family. 5. Consistent Coaching Coaching your team goes beyond training. It’s an ongoing conversation that will continuously increase productivity and team engagement. Meet weekly or monthly to ensure you are identifying obstacles or opportunities as they arise and addressing them directly. 6. Maintaining Accountability Once you create goals for your team, clearly communicate your expectations. For example, ask your team members to work to their strengths while focusing on the top 20 percent of their most impactful and income-generating activities. Holding yourself and your team accountable to these standards will keep you on track while making you more relatable. 7. Leading by Example Strive to intentionally make a difference in your team members’ careers. Be deliberate. If business is slow and calls need to be made, don’t be afraid to do the hard things to encourage others. It takes cognitive control and discipline to bring positive energy to the table every day, but it will pay off and your reputation will thank you. It isn’t over once you hire your dream team. Building an innovative and collaborative company requires an on-going commitment to each individual team member.   Kelly Hager is the CEO of St. Louis-based Kelly Hager Group Real Estate Services and Kelly Hager International. Kelly Hager International is Kelly’s latest endeavour that encompasses international keynote speaking, business performance training and consulting. For two consecutive years, Kelly’s growing real estate business, The Kelly Hager Group, has been listed as a one of The Top Selling Real Estate Experts™, a Best Places to Work Finalist and a Wall Street Journal Real Trends Top 250 of 1,000. For more information call 314-580-7000 or visit www.kellyhager.com. For more information on Kelly Hager, Inc., please call 314-580-7000 or visit www.kellyhagerinc.com.