4 Blocks of Team Building (Invite, Inspire, Instill, & Invest)

1. INVITE

Recruit. They are not going to magically come to us; we have to seek them out.

4 ways to find new team members

• Recruit one at a time, face to face. Don’t send a mass message; Look for people who would be great on your team > Listen to their story > Invite.
• Recruit with vision, not need. People don’t respond to need; they respond to vision
• Look for doers, not thinkers. It’s much easier to educate a doer than to activate a thinker. Constantly trying to motivate is exhausting. If you have the right people, they’ll be self-motivated.
• Look for people who are already doing what you are looking for. Tell them that you would like for them to join the team. People want to feel wanted.

What if I can’t find the right person for a key position? When in doubt, wait. It’s difficult to remove people later. It’s better to leave a position vacant than fill it with the wrong person. Don’t choose someone who is the wrong fit just because they have been there a long time or work hard.

What if I have the wrong person in a key position currently? Try moving them to a different role. If they still are not working out, make the tough decision to let them go. Waiting too long is unfair to them because you're keeping them from finding a better fit. If you’re not sure whether to let someone go, ask yourself “If they stepped down, would I be disappointed or secretly relieved?”

Bottom Line: Before you go anywhere, get the right people on the bus (Jim Collins, Good to Great)

2. INSPIRE

4 ways to inspire your team

Communicate the Why - Talk about what you are trying to accomplish but also talk about why. Don’t just hand out assignments; people commit to a cause, not to a task. An easy way to do that is to follow your statements with “so that”.

Tell Success Stories - Stories inspire way more than principles. Talk about people's lives that are better off because of what your team is doing.

Lead with Enthusiasm - Information doesn’t inspire people; passion does. Enthusiasm is contagious! Don’t expect to have a fired-up team if you’re not. Bonus tip: If you’ve got passionate people on your team put them together; don’t spread them out. Like burning charcoal, fire spreads. Left alone, the flame goes out.

Believe the Best - Walk the halls looking for things people on your team are doing right. When we have a positive view of people, lots of buried talent begins to surface. Average people have a way of accomplishing extraordinary things when someone believes in them. If someone drops the ball, don’t jump to conclusions; try to understand the situation better. Believe the best.