#BuildingTeams #Blog4 | Connecting with your team
As a founder/team leader/founding team member/vertical head, your responsibility is to build deep professional and mission-driven connections with your team. You may also choose to build a more personal relationship, but that is totally up to you.
I have put together a few pointers that were helpful for me. And this TED talk by Derek Sivers has some critical elements of how to build a team and connect with the team. #mustwatch
Build a shared understanding of the purpose and vision
Remember to keep it simple, relatable and free of data and jargon. Use stories, anecdotes or hypothetical situations to clarify the purpose and vision.
At SEF, we want to make sure that soon, families who can afford private schools start sending their children to govt schools because the govt schools will be at par or even better. We are on a mission to enable that for every government school in India.
This is not your mission or vision statement but an articulation of the future when you have realised your vision.
Spend time understanding their values and alignment with the work that you will do together
This is extremely important because it will help you anchor conversation when
- motivation dips
- they struggle to see success,
- the going gets tough for everyone
This also makes the team member feel heard, their purpose acknowledged and helps them consistently reconnect with their purpose.
Give them tools to share about the work you are doing and why it is important
Our team members are our biggest ambassadors, enabling them with tools to share about the work we do and our larger vision and theory of change, which helps them share the work with ease. This, in turn, helps build connection, pride and ownership of the work.
Go give these a try and let me know what you think. Thank you.
