Team Management

Your team is the most important asset in your business.

Owning and operating a company is about solving a continuous stream of problems, and it’s always easier to solve a problem with other people’s help rather than alone.

The right team will propel you towards success, however, the wrong team can undermine you at every turn.

On this page we’ll discuss:

• Building your team
• Managing people
• Outsourcing and delegation

Keep reading to learn more…

building your team

There are 4 types of people you need in your business:

1. The visionary (an ideas person & decision maker)
2. The operator (organising ideas into actions)
3. The creator (filming & editing content)
4. The data connoisseur (measurement & optimisation)

However, most of the categories benefit from having multiple people in them with specialist skills.

The visionary

This will typically be the founder of the company.

The visionary’s job is to identify the problem, understand how it can be solved and communicate that message to the team & the customers.

They are also accountable for key decision making about the direction of the business.

The operator

Ideas are meaningless unless they are actioned.

You need somebody who is good at mapping out timeframes, resource requirements and project plans.

Then they need to be able to manage tasks to ensure deadlines are met.

The creator

Ideally, this will be a group of people that includes:

• Design (landing pages, social media posts etc)
• Video content & editing
• Marketing/ Sales copywriting.

Building an audience and getting attention for your brand is vital for generating a funnel of leads & ultimately sales, and in the modern world, this is impossible to do without creating engaging content.

The data connoisseur

What gets measured gets managed.

Being on top of your numbers is incredibly important, and will ensure you stay on track to meet your key performance objectives.

The main areas here are:

• Budgeting
• Marketing metrics (e.g CTR & CPL)
• Growth forecasting

In the beginning, it’s fine for you to be all four people, but as soon as possible it’s a good idea to outsource responsibilities so you don’t get lost in the weeds, and you have help solving your business’s most complex problems.

Managing people

Managing people can be a tricky business, but it’s vital to learn this skill if your business is going to be successful.

Here are some key tips to keep in mind when managing a team:

• Set realistic, measurable & clear outcomes
• Let your staff provide solutions instead of giving orders
• Don’t micromanage
• Schedule regular updates
• Encourage collaboration

You need to remember that you hired each employee for a reason, which should be that they are great at what they do.

That means they are probably more qualified to solve a problem than you are.

Your job is to provide clear direction and pull them back on the right path if they fall astray.

However, every person is different, some people need closer guidance while others need to be unleashed to do their thing.

Learn how to identify these different characters and modify your management strategy accordingly.

outsourcing & delegation

Outsourcing is not a new concept, but it has grown in popularity in the modern era because the internet has made it easier to connect with specialised talent.

When you’re first starting out, it is the best way to keep hard costs like office rent down while still leveraging the skills you need.

The best platforms are:

• Upwork
• Fiverr

But beware, if you decide to hire offshore then time differences and communication issues can get in the way of tight deadlines.

Also, never agree to pay an hourly rate. Set a specific cost for a specific job done, and then pay 50% upfront, 50% on completion.

This strategy will protect you from getting overcharged, especially if you’re on a tight budget.

summary

Managing a team is more of an art than a science.

Because we are all individuals, we all have unique needs, and it takes a lot of time and experience to understand the right way to approach people.

The only real way to learn is through trial and error, by building relationships and understanding the type of manager you naturally are.

If you’re interested in learning more, I encourage you to download official YBMB business e-books below that will help you take your first steps towards a successful career…

Or, if you want to work with me more closely, I encourage you to join my programme Business Mastery which has helped thousands of people build the careers they deserve!