The three teams you need to succeed

When you were growing up, did you ever play a team sport?  I played several sports during my formative years, and I still consider it a very positive experience overall.  There are quite a few life lessons you can learn when you’re part of a team.

Some of the most consequential teams I’ve been part of, however, had nothing to do with sports.  Many of those teams had to do with projects, vocations, and ministries I was serving with.  I can still list the many ways my life has been impacted by the privilege of serving with some of those groups.

At present, I still have the privilege of being part of several teams.  In fact, I’ve noticed that life in general feels much less stressful when you’re surrounded by a good team.  In recent weeks, I’ve had to lean on my team more heavily than normal and they’ve proven to be a wonderful support.

When most people begin the process of developing a message-based online platform, they don’t always think about surrounding themselves with a team.  Typically, online platform development is thought of as a solo sport, not a team activity.  “Solo” is certainly one way to approach what you’re doing, but it isn’t always the best way.

When I started doing the work I do online, I did almost everything by myself.  I created content alone, edited that content alone, published it alone, and celebrated many of my victories alone.  As I think back to that season, I suppose I did that partly because I wasn’t convinced anyone else would be interested in what I was doing, but also because my platform was built on a financial shoestring.  I didn’t feel like I had a budget at that point that would allow me the liberty of working with a team.

Whether you’re early in the process of developing a platform, or whether you’ve been working on your platform for a while, please allow me to suggest three different kinds of teams that would be beneficial to work with.  I’d honestly recommend having each in place as soon as possible, particularly if you’re feeling somewhat stuck or stagnant.

The first team I’d recommend you put in place is a team of mentors/instructors.  These are the people you’ll assemble to pass along their wisdom and ideas to you.  Typically they’re people who are at least several years ahead of you in achieving what you’re trying to achieve.  They may or may not be people you know personally, and they may or may not even know they’re mentoring you.

Where do you find these people?  Some of them may actually offer coaching services, group learning experiences, or membership communities you can join.  Others probably offer books, courses, blogs, podcasts, and YouTube channels.  If your budget is low, start by making use of their free content, and when your budget begins to increase, you’ll definitely want to invest in their paid products.  Some of the best money I ever paid was for mentorship and instruction from entrepreneurs and influencers who were several years ahead of me.

The next team I’d recommend you establish is a team of implementors.  These are the people who implement your ideas and help you carry out your mission.  They may be people you partner with or people you pay.  Obviously, if you’re just starting out and funds are tight, you’re going to lean more toward partnerships than paying for their services.

Your team of implementors can help you accomplish the tasks you don’t enjoy doing or don’t want to take the time to learn to do.  They might be editors, designers, accountants, or marketers.  When their help is utilized strategically, you’ll begin to see growth taking place in your platform on a level that could never have been achieved alone.

When it comes to implementation, there’s another category of implementation worth considering.  That’s the help you can gain from using digital tools and software.  Frankly, some of the key management needs of my online platform are handled through the software I’m using.

One additional team I think we all need is a team of peers.  These are the people who are presently doing the same type of thing you’re doing.  Odds are they are in the process of building a message-based online platform as well.  You need them for inspiration and accountability.  You need this group to help cheer you on when you’re struggling and remind you that you aren’t alone as you attempt to build your business. 

Some of the best friends I have made in my adult years are my entrepreneurial peers.  I honestly love them, and I have taken a considerable amount of inspiration from many of them.

So, what does your team currently look like?  Are there mentors in place to teach you, implementors in place to help you activate your ideas, and peers in place to inspire you?  If that’s missing from what you’re doing, I’d highly encourage you to begin reaching out to them, establishing some new relationships, and growing from the interaction you can have with like-minded peers and colleagues.  

© John Stange, 2024