FINANCIAL POST
T H U R S D A Y, N O V E M B E R 2 6 , 2 0 1 5
HOW DO YOU BUILD A TEAM TO LAST? Entrepreneurs talk about finding the right people to help grow their business “A lasting team needs a few things: 1) An awareness of each other’s most deeply held values, then agreed-upon common values for the whole team. 2) A shared big commitment that everyone is both a little scared of and very excited by. 3) Practices for celebration, acknowledgement, communication, time management, decision making and conflict resolution that everyone’s agreed on. 4) A lot of transparency, autonomy and opportunities for growth and development. 5) And then of course, keeping things fun and very supportive really, really helps.” Sarah Laughton, principal at Stretch Solutions Inc., stretchyourproductivity.com
“Demonstrate core values. Everyone in our company is aware that the quality of our work is our number one priority. Who doesn’t want to work on a quality solution? Share success. We make sure that when we have experienced success, big or small, that we celebrate that success. The celebration can be as small as bringing in pastries or mentioning the success in an email or in the bullpen. We share our successes as often as we can because everyone wants a pat on the back. Pitch in. When we hire, we look for people who are willing to share. Everyone on our team pitches in and helps by lending their time to a colleague to review a document or brainstorming on a solution. It brings us closer together.” Don O’Dwyer, CEO of Raven Bay Services, ravenbay.com
PHOTO BY : JASON F RA NS O N, JAS O NFR A NS O N.C O M
“As the business owner, you need to start with a tough choice. Do I hire for what I need to keep me moving right now, or do I hire now for what my vision shows me I will need one or two years from now? If the first, then skills and traits will be more important for your hiring decisions. For the second, the alignment with values, culture and purpose will be your priority, remembering that skills can always be trained and developed over time.” John Breeze, co-founder and COO of It’s All About Connecting, itsallaboutconnecting.ca
“Building a team that lasts involves creating an open, appreciative and positive work environment. The first step is finding individuals that believe in what you are doing and match your business’s core values. To start, provide adequate training to allow them to be successful with their position. Recognize your team efforts through structured initiative programs and do not forget the power of a simple thank you. Provide open lines of communication through always being available to them and creating various ways for them to offer feedback and suggestions. Find out what motivates each team member and help them reach their goals. Focus on building on each other’s strengths and creating a collaborative environment built on trust. Lead by example and above all, do not forget to have fun together! The success of your business depends on your team so help them to love what they do.” Megan Armstrong, owner of Dogma Training & Pet Services Inc., dogmatraining.com
“Find those who are heart-minded and impress you from a distance when they don’t know you are watching them. Then, treat them like gold! My team comes first above any clients or partnerships any day. Without them, my company would not have the success it has had. They are the heartbeat of the organization and I love sharing, encouraging their work all over social media and in person and that provides more confidence within themselves. My job is to raise them up in a fun loving and supportive environment and I welcome open communication at all times.”
Holbrook, executive vice-president of ATB Business. Here’s his take: “I was in a meeting the other day and asked why a highly qualified team member we had recently hired had left our organization. The answer was simple. What they wanted to do all along was something completely different and the role we had them in was just for now. We wasted our time. As leaders, it is inherently important that we create a vision for the culture we want and be deliberate in only letting people in who are motivated by this, who believe in it and who want to be a part of it. When we hold standards like that, people will not just last, they will help us build a business that will last.” R O U N D U P : R E C E N T P O S T S F R O M C A P I TA L I D E A S M E M B E R S From “Find the right employees through storytelling” by Eric Termuende, co-founder of Gen Y Inc. (genyinc.com):
“Instead of an ambiguous statement that could really apply to any industry, consider telling the story of an individual in the position, and how they feel about the job they are doing. More importantly, discover ‘why’ they are there and tell that story.”
UPCOMING EVENTS DECEMBER 2: A L B E R TA B O O ST R STA G E P I T C H E V E N T Watch Alberta’s social entrepreneurs pitch on the BoostR Stage. ■ Where: Theatre Junction (608 1 Street S.W.) ■ When: 5:30 p.m. to 8:30 p.m. ■ Admission: $20. More info at albertaboostr.ca DECEMBER 3: CALGARY CROWDFUNDING BOOTCAMP: LEARN EVERYTHING Covers essential crowdfunding education for issuers, investors and all other parties interested. ■ Where: Dentons Canada LLP (850- 2nd Street S.W.) ■ When: 1 to 6 p.m. ■ Admission: $25 for members, $35 for nonmembers. More info at ncfacanada.org For more great events, visit capitalideascalgary.com/ calgaryevents.
COMMUNITY QUESTION
Where do you look when recruiting top talent for your business?
Trena Olfert, CEO & makeup artist at Trena Laine Makeup Artistry, trenalaine.com
These answers are in response to a question posed by Wellington
Find the full posts on these members’ LinkedIn profiles or at their website. We’ll curate a selection every Friday in our LinkedIn group, Capital Ideas Alberta. To bring yours to our attention, email it to hello@capitalideascalgary.com or post to LinkedIn with the hashtag #capitalideas.
B9
CAPITAL IDEAS
C A P I TA L Q U E S T I O N
Jamie Clarke, CEO & co-founder of Live Out There Inc. (www.liveoutthere.com), has found that facing challenges together helps solidify a team. “I learned in the Himalayas that creating this lasting unit is only possible for people who collectively face a significant performance challenge where the outcome is unknown and the stakes are high. Everyone must buy into the reality that they will win or lose together. Period. Without these factors a lasting team will not emerge.”
CA LG A RY H E R A L D
From “Hide and seek: Freeing up hidden profits” by Laura Bechard, business and executive coach, Bexco Business & Executive Coaching ( linkedin.com/in/ laurabechard):
“It’s hard to ignore the news reporting an economic downturn in Alberta with some economists even using the “R” word (recession). Fear not, here’s a few tips to help you ferret out those profits that may be hiding in plain sight: in operating costs, customer service or purchasing processes, hiring practices or unproductive assets.”
(appguys.ca):
Finding the right people for the job is a constant need for a busy entrepreneur and it can be difficult to know where to look for new hires, how to advertise for positions and who to ask for referrals. That’s got Sheila Musgrove, founder of Tag Recruitment Group (tagrecruitmentgroup.com), interested to hear from you: Where do you look when recruiting top talent for your business? You can answer the question in two ways: Open today’s Capital Ideas email if you’re a member or visit capitalideascalgary.com We’ll publish the best answers, along with your business name and website address, on December 3.
From “Critical elements every business website needs” by Ryan Hnetka, founder of App Guys Inc.
“Great website design is important, users will make a decision to stay on your site or leave, within seconds of landing there. But design is just half the battle, what will make users stay on your website longer, or convert into leads?”
Join our LinkedIn group: Capital Ideas Alberta • Follow us on Twitter: @capitalideasyyc
Business owners helping business owners
JOIN US!
✔ Get expert advice on your biggest challenges
✔ Share insights with entrepreneurs like you
✔ Appear in the Calgary Herald
S I G N U P AT : capitalideascalgary.com