Three Tips for Building a Winning Team

Congrats! You've gotten your small business off the ground.

And not only that, it's growing and you need to hire. But where do you start? How do you start? Don't worry, we've got you covered. To build a winning team and make your business grow, you of course want the best skilled people. But you also need them to share your vision, culture, and drive to succeed.

Here are three quick tips to get you started on building a winning team.

1.  Define your goals

‍It’s fun to picture yourself in a fancy boardroom saying, “you’re hired.” However, there’s a lot more that goes into the hiring process.

Before you start hiring, be clear on your objective and what a winning team looks like for you. It’s not just about individuals, it’s about building a team, and one that comes together to do great things. Throughout your hiring process, consider:

• ‍Skill and experience: What qualifications and personalities are you looking for?‍
• Timing: When do you need to hire team members? How long do you need them for? Remember to consider timing for onboarding as well.‍
• Compensation: How will you compensate employees? Consider both salary and benefits.

2.  Core Company Values and Vision‍

Of course, your goals don’t stop once you hire your first employee, second employee, or even your two hundredth employee. That’s because hiring the right people is an important step, but it’s just the first. And believe us, it’s not the last.

As you're going through the hiring process and once you've made your new hires, it's important that each new team member clearly understands:

• ‍Your Vision: They need to understand the ultimate goal of the company and how their role contributes to that end vision.‍
• Roles: Make sure they know they’re part of a team, but also have a detailed understanding of how to track their own progress towards the determined end goal.
• Leadership: Don’t forget, their impression of you and your company started at the interview itself—so be ready!

3.  Effective and Clear Communication

‍"Honesty is the best policy" isn't just a saying that we all learn as children, but rather it's something important you should remember for your young business. Because building the right team can often hinge on the simplest of things - open communication.

Keep these things in mind as you begin working together:

• ‍Open Dialogue: Foster a culture of openness by being transparent and having honest conversations.
• Encourage and empower: Give the tools needed for personal development, but also learn when a little push is needed should they be having a negative impact on the company.‍
• Feedback: Everyone’s different, so keep that in mind when giving feedback. Even if direct criticism works for some, it doesn’t for all. Honing soft skills is key to interacting and working with your team.

In the end, it’s your business and you know it best, so trust your instincts on who will be the best fit. Review your hiring process, and give yourself an honest assessment of where you have opportunities for improvement in these three areas. After all, who better to ask than the boss? And that’s you.

What are your top business tips?

Email us at small-biz-academy@amazon.com for the chance to be featured in our next article.

Want to keep learning?

Check out our course called Build Your Winning Team available through the Amazon Small Business Academy.