Over the years I have learned a lot about team building and organizational structure. As an entrepreneur these skills are so necessary because there is constant movement and growth, and the necessity to continuously evaluate the health of the team and of the organization. Who you hire is critical to a successful operation. A great hire can catapult the mission and grow the business exponentially; whereas a bad hire can stall or slow your progress, if not throw you into chaos and destroy everything.

The Right Hand

I would recommend the first hire to be an assistant; a right hand. Someone who can pick up where you leave things off, especially from an administrative standpoint. That is how to start accumulating leverage. This first hire can do things like check email and manage all incoming inquiries. They become a first line of fire. This is the person who can give you back hours everyday.

As an entrepreneur, you will be out there hustling to drum up business. Naturally you will be communicating with a lot of people and therefore stimulating a lot of mail and inquiries about what you are selling, no matter what that is.

My first key right hand person was Awilda. She has been with me since 2010 and I consider her a legend. My business really elevated when I hired her. She is the person who never says no, and never says never. If I go right, she goes right. If I go left, she goes left, and we have both grown together. Of course, now she holds a different position in the organization where I can utilize her 14 years of experience with me in a much better way, and in a key position in the company at our current level of growth. Her experience warrants it, and there is trust.

Trust - an Important Component to Building a Team

Because I’ve been around a long time and I have had some very crazy experiences, I had to work hard at overcoming my trust issues. These days everyone wants the instant solution, to get rich tomorrow, and because of that we have a lot of people come and go. I now look for those who have a long term vision of growth with the company.

Our business is relationship building and real estate sales, which both require time and a build up before any potential close. We are not selling popsicles, so there is a lot required for us and our clients to get to the end of the rainbow.

The Product Expert

After the all-important assistant and right hand the next hire would be someone who can be the product expert. In my case it was a sales agent. This way, as I was drumming up business and my assistant fielding incoming calls/emails etc., I had someone who could assist the clients and close sales to bring revenue to the business. From there it was continual growth, position by position, based on where there was the most need to continue to build my capacity and leverage as a leader.

A Solid Foundation

For any growing business you must have certain departments under control. That includes sales, marketing, accounting and operations. There is no way to grow a great team and scale when the foundation is not solid, because as a growing business you will normally be out of control more than you are in control. For me, I like to think of it like a baby. The business is my baby and I want my baby to grow.

How does that happen? In order to grow, the baby has to try new things and sometimes it’s messy. To learn how to walk, a baby will fall down many times, but it always gets up again and keeps trying. In business we will step in potholes and unforeseen craziness and there will be bumps and bruises, but we learn and make adjustments, and keep going in a forward direction. That’s my philosophy.

As an entrepreneur and business owner it must be understood that growth can be bumpy and painful and sometimes we fall, but as long as we get back up and continue to make progress we will be fine.

A Business Team is like a Puzzle

It is so important to put the pieces together in the correct manner to accomplish the enterprise mission. It’s imperative to have the right butts in the right seats on the bus. That is so critical. A bad hire can set you back far. Also having a great talent doing the wrong thing can cause chaos as well.

I have made bad hires that have set my business back by a year or more. Time is money, so never cut corners. Never accept a so-so hire, and never hire out of pressure. It’s much better to have a hole in the organization than to have the wrong person.

Never be Afraid to Let Go

This has been one of my biggest weaknesses. Letting someone go, especially someone you like as a person, is never easy. And it shouldn’t be. In the long run, it is the right thing for both you and the employee. The employee needs to be in a job they can excel at as much as you need the right person in your company.

Where I have made mistakes is when I have hired people based on future potential or a hope that they can be molded into something else. Not smart. To grow a business will require ‘A’ players. ‘C’ players won’t grow the business. I am working more with those who I feel excited about, not those who are “okay”. Okay will not grow the business.

Look for Rock Stars. Each and every hire should be a Rock Star in their own way. Make no exceptions. Rock Star or bust. That is the most direct route to the stratosphere.

From the Ground Up

As an entrepreneur we normally grow our businesses from the ground up, wearing all of the hats, sometimes more than one at a time. One gauge I use to decide on when it’s time to grow the team is to look at what I am doing. There are only so many hours in a day to get everything done, so when one task starts consuming too much time on a regular basis then I know it’s time for me to hire.

For example, if I’m spending around 15 hours a week on any given task I know it’s important and it’s time to hire someone to do the job. This is how I have grown different departments like technology, accounting, and now marketing. It’s important to know the basics and mechanics of all departments, and there is no better way to learn than doing the actual job myself.

I can speak to all of these team members with knowledge, and eventually we teach each other as they grow and evolve into their roles. When the skill required is beyond what I can grow in-house, only then do I go outside to hire professionals. This may not be the ideal method for everyone, but it has worked for me. I have believed in the “promote from within first” philosophy since my corporate days.

Trust Your Gut

Every. Single. Time. There have been times when I have had that feeling down deep inside and I have ignored it. I have always come back to regret not trusting my gut.

The journey of building a team and shaping an organizational structure is a testament to continuous learning and adaptation; from recognizing the pivotal role of a right-hand assistant, to aiming for excellence in every hire and putting together the pieces of the ever-changing puzzle that is your team. Embrace the chaos, the bumps, bruises and occasional setbacks. Learn and grow from them. They are a testament to the resilience required on the entrepreneurial journey.

For more insights and tips, follow me on social media at @CherylHendersonPuntaCana. Stay tuned for updates on the podcast at @PuntaCanaPodcast.

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