Putting a formidable design team together is certainly not the easiest thing to do, but with the right guidance you can do it right and end up with a team that will deliver results you are pleased with. Read on to learn what you must consider as you put your dream team together.
1. Clarify the owner’s purpose
Think of what the owner of the project you are to work on wants and communicate that to the intended members of your team to make sure there is no confusion whatsoever.
2. Know how you work
Be aware of how you work as a leader and how your style affects the team. Communicate with them on what they like and what they don’t.
3. Don’t settle
Don’t let in a weak link into your team. Get them to improve if possible, and leave them if they don’t.
4. Create the right ambience from day one
From the start, create an atmosphere of respect, trust, and safety, with room for creativity and diverse viewpoints.
5. Make room for focus
Don’t let communication get extreme. Encourage alone time where team members can be alone and concentrate.
6. Look out for balance
Only take on new people if they provide a skill you don’t already have.
7. Have a plan
You must have a documented plan right from the start to guide your decisions.
8. Get to know your team
If you will be working on a creative project with people, you need to know who they are and what makes them tick.
9. No substitute for trust
Hard work and intelligence are important, but if you cannot trust a member of your design team, you are bound to have serious problems at some point.
10. Personal lives matter
A stressed person will have a hard time excelling much creatively so do all you can to make the after-work lives of your team members smooth too.
11. Coaching helps
Tap into the creativity of your team members by coaching for improved emotional intelligence, improved teamwork, and more.
12. Friendship is good
Don’t be sceptical about being friendly with your team as friendship has more benefits than you can imagine.
When you take the aforementioned seriously when putting your team together, you’ll be able to assemble a solid design team from the ground up. Good luck.