BUILDING YOUR TEAM OF ENTREPRENEURS
An effective team needs to have a visionary and motivating leader combined with engaged and dedicated team members.
Real Estate Agents are not employees. They are independent contractors or entrepreneurs. This team arrangement is not unique to Real Estate. Insurance, financial planners, and consulting, to name a few are teams of independent contractors.
These teams of associates can be spread out over a large geographic area. The is one of the advantages of technology. Today there are more teams that work virtually than ever before. Many teams members have home offices and some don't even have a seat in the main office.
Regardless of the composition of the team, the things needed to create traditional high
performing teams also apply to teams that work from independent locations and should be considered virtual teams. An effective team needs to have a visionary and motivating leader combined with engaged and dedicated team members. These team members need to have a strong motivation for achievement of their goals. Moreover, the team’s goal AND the members’ individual goals must be aligned. Why else would you need a team? Just because people don’t meet together in a physical location does not mean that there can’t be a culture of accountability. Every team and every leader needs to set the example and set the standard for the team to follow. The points are the same for virtual teams as they are for traditional team. Here are a few of the most important things to remember.
1. Have written goals with timetables and deadlines. Each team member must know exactly what the objectives are. They must have short term goals, intermediate goals, and long terms goals with deadlines.
2. Use measurements. Use a tool to share measurements online. There are many available. Actions must be measured as to how they contribute to the desired results. What is the desired result of every action and how will you measure it? The measurement should be shared with the individual team members so that they can assess their progress.
3. Schedule regular one to one meetings by phone, Skype, Google Hangout or whatever works. Regular updates are important. You should utilize a standard format. Include progress updates and freely welcome discussion of obstacles and solutions.
4. Make use of technology to share information online. Keep regular online contact with everyone. Evernote is a great program for this. You can download it. There is a free and paid version. When you use this for field work and updates you will be able to tell if someone is checked out or not holding up their end.
5. Schedule regular team meetings online. Google Hangout can be used for up to nine people. Assign different parts of the meeting to others. Engage everyone by including all in the discussion and asking questions of everyone.
6. Finally, everyone needs face time. You need to schedule occasional physical get-togethers.
Trust is essential. In the case of remotely functioning teams developing trust must not be forgotten or pushed to the wayside. Your team must feel free to ask questions with the confidence they will receive support and the necessary information. An effective leader must insure that everyone is informed and that he or she is “in on things.” You can make it happen with virtual teams but you must sharpen your leadership skills and recognize that what you do in an office must be translated into its virtual version. You can read a similar post on our web site titled SIX POINTS FOR MANAGING YOUR VIRTUAL TEAM.
Would you like to know how to leverage the talents of your virtual team?
Business Coach - Strategic Plans - Sales and Marketing Coach
Grant Schneider - Leadership and Business Coach Creating Successful Business Outcomes
President Performance Development Strategies
- Business Performance and Strategic Business Plans
- Organizational Effectiveness
- Time Effectiveness and Organization
914-953-4458, Armonk NY 10504 grant@pdstrategies.com
Visit my website www.pdstrategies.com for information on how you can obtain quantum leaps in your business performance.
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