Recipe for Economic Development Team-Building

Here are the steps I follow in building teams in economic development:

1. Create harmony & trust: Teamwork cannot happen without trust among team members. Remember: you must trust yourself! Trust in ED means people have to see beyond the "hunk of earth" they represent.

2. Define common purpose: Successful teams have a shared purpose, which creates the reason why people work together. Remember: there must be a clear goal and everyone must see a benefit. I find many ED organizations lack strategic focus, which causes them to stray into others' domains.

3. Build a strategy and track progress: Without a clear and agreed upon path to the goal, people will drift. Acccountability is essential as well. Track the team's progress. A bunch of meetings does not constitute a strategy. A documented way of doing things is needed. Be systematic in how you approach your ED work.

4. Define clear responsibilities and roles: Everybody plays a role in reaching the goal. Team members must be willing to do their part. A shared work plan is needed to ensure that everyone pulls their weight. Too often people just show up and say and do whatever comes to mind, rather than exercising the defined responsibilities they are assigned.

5. Delegate decision-making: Don't allow all decisions to flow to the top. That is not a team. Decisions should be made as close to the problem as possible. Too many ED boards let the Chair and the Executive Committee do everything.

6. Work on team member development: This is crucial. Every team member must adopt a continuous improvement mentality. We hide behind "being an expert" too often in ED. Don't be afraid to learn. Teach each other. Mentorship is leadership.

7. Meet, communicate, and decide: But don't spend your life in meetings. Meetings should have a purpose and when a team assembles, it should do something worthwhile. Too many unfocused meetings can be the death of a team.

8. Support the team: Every team needs resources, outside experts, information and knowledge, and other things to make things happen. In the absence of resources, teams fade into oblivion.

9. Create escalation points and backup strategies: Things change, fall apart, and the team must be able to move to another strategy to reach the goal. Don't switch teams; switch strategies when things don't work.

10. Reward the desired team behavior and results: Rewards are essential to motivating teams, especially when the hard work arrives. Be creative in defining rewards. Sharing credit is important to everyone. Shared purpose + shared strategy = shared results + shared credit.

Contact Don Iannone at ED Futures to learn more about our economic development team-building services. Phone: 440.449.0753. Email: dtia@don-iannone.com