Although I know you’re awesome, I hope you don’t find yourself laying the foundation for your business and moving it forward without the right “Dream Team” in place (like our friend above).
I know what you’re thinking. Just why is this Dream Team so important?
A Great Dream Team = Great strategy + Momentum + Clarity + Resources + Good Energy + Results
Over and over again, throughout my years of working for organizations across the East Coast, I’ve observed how an organization can have a super wonderful idea, but without the right people in place to make it happen, making an impact and producing results can truly be a struggle.
Even before you start working towards your vision, having the right Dream Team to help you strategize more deeply about how you will make your vision happen can be a game changer!
So to ensure you are truly “changing the game” and making true impact through your business, I’m going to help you understand:
What is a Dream Team?How can you effectively identify your Dream Team? Where can you go to find the right members of your Dream Team?
1) What is a Dream Team?
For an aspiring entrepreneur, in short, this is the group of people who will help you take your dream to the next level. They help you brainstorm your vision in a way that helps you ensure your ideas are strategic, well-thought out, feasible, and phenomenal. They support you and hold you accountable. For someone already in the midst of running their business, this is the group of people who will help you take your business to the next level. This can be your board of directors, staff, volunteers, mentors, interns, and even includes additional resources like compliance officers, coaches, and business partners. Whether an entrepreneur or seasoned professional, the regularity of when you speak to these individuals and whether you speak to them as a group or individually varies based on your needs and objectives.
2) How can you effectively identify your Dream Team?
Though your needs will change depending on what you’re looking for your Dream Team to do, you should make sure that after making a list of at least 10 – 20 areas of expertise or skill-sets you need on your Dream Team, ensure each member of your Dream Team:
Brings something valuable to the table regarding their expertise or experienceHas the time to do the things you need them to do to make your vision successfulIs willing to follow your vision and support your directionWorks well with others if you will have them interacting in a group settingCan bring others to the table who can support you and your vision in various waysMakes sacrifices for the benefit of the organization even if it is outside of their comfort zoneSincerely believes in the mission of what you’re hoping to accomplish
3) Where can you go to find the right members your Dream Team?
Depending on what you”ll be using your Dream Team for, there are a number of ways to find your Dream Team.
A few are below:
For start-ups looking for an initial Dream Team, after determining what specific skill-sets you’ll need to further explore your vision and to set your organizational foundation, you can:
Speak to friends or family you trust who you think might be great for your Dream Team, and invite them to brainstorm with youAsk for recommendations from colleagues, family, or friends for people they think might be a good fit after you have given them a very specific profile of what you’re looking for (don’t feel pressured into having to choose any of their recommendations, but do be honest about whether or not you will reach out to those they have recommended)Arrange for people in your circle to introduce you to leads you are highly interested in that are in their circles of friends, family or colleagues or who they have a better chance of connecting with
For those seeking members of Boards of Directors, staff, interns and volunteers:
You can use the same strategies I mentioned above to find great long-term Dream Team membersCheck out websites like bridgespan.org, idealist.org, volunteermatch.org, and boardnetusa.org that allow you to post listings for board members. Volunteermatch.org and idealist.org are also great for finding great interns and volunteers, and idealist.org can also be used to recruit staff membersVisit networking events that are attracting individuals who might be interested in being a part of your Dream Team, speak to as many people as possible there, and schedule follow-up conversations with individuals who might be great for your Dream TeamReach out to other organizational leaders or colleagues you highly respect, let them know very specifically what you’re looking for, and ask them for recommendationsForward your well-written listing to listservs (including university alumni listservs), post to social media websites, and share with colleagues who have a large following to expose your opportunity to a large group of people
Before you invite anyone to be a part of your Dream Team:
Don’t advertise a permanent role to an individual who you don’t know too much about even if they appear to be extremely capable and resourcefulHave a few conversations with your prospects in a way that is extremely in-depth with you doing more listening than talking and asking strategic questions including situational questionsFor long-term positions, ensure you have an in-depth process for how individuals like Board Members, staff, interns, or assistants will be vetted before you officially invite them to be a member of your Dream TeamDo a test run by having individuals volunteer, attend events, or join informal conversations before extending a longer-term opportunity to them
These are just a few ideas to start you on the path to your Dream Team! Remember, it’s worth the investment of time on the front end to recruit an awesome Dream Team versus having months or years of having a team that doesn’t allow your vision to reach it’s full potential, or worse, that causes problems in your organization. You will regularly have to use the above process to continue to find great individuals to join the ranks of your organization as your organization evolves.
I believe in you! Find the Dream Team that will help to make your organization the dream it’s meant to be! And, if you need my help, you can arrange for an initial 30-minute complimentary session with me at https://calendly.com/daphnevalcin/discoverycall for us to speak about the action steps you can take to move your goals and vision forward.
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