Maybe you think you are alone, fighting the one person fight that many leaders face. However, you would be wrong to assume that just because you are the only employee of your indie publishing company and the only author that you have to take on so much alone. There may be a way to solicit help without having to pay a salary. So how does the business owner create a teaming environment or create a program where no one works there?
Through High Power Teams
High power teams (HPT) are the most effective types of entities. Where groups form, storm and norm, HPTs go further to create a body more capable than any individual. They do this by agreeing to rules and primarily keeping in mind that throughout any process or problem, it’s not about the individual, it’s about the group. This allows the organization to benefit as a whole as each member sacrifices their individual desires. The members do not lose or give up the individuality that makes them unique. It does not stifle individual creativity. What each individual sacrifices are selfish desires and the need for self importance.
High power teams (HPT) consists of a small number of people with complementary skills. Individual members of HPTs are committed to a common goal and hold themselves mutually accountable. This structure and assembly of individual core competencies, skills and capabilities create a superpower stronger than any one person could ever be.
The charter defines the standards the HPT will perform under. It provides the purpose vision, norms, goals, expectations and procedures. The charter is the rudder that keeps the group focused and forms the basis for group discipline and accountability. For example, if someone arrives late or makes fun of another member’s contribution, corrections can be made by referring to the charter. Additionally, if the group loses focus, the members can refer to the vision and goals.
While the charter provides the fundamentals other dynamics provide the groups personality and incredible effectiveness. Typically, all groups go through a forming, storming, norming, and performing, but that’s where a group’s effectiveness ends. There is a distinct difference between groups and teams.
Teams build on the four stages by engaging collective performance, positive environment, holding individuals and the entire group accountable for charter guidelines and taking advantage of complementary skills. This again increases effectiveness and provides results associated with the capabilities of the HPT.
Anyone can form an HTP and especially so for highly effective formal and informal leader. Let’s for the sake of relativity, consider an author or even an indie publisher. An indie publisher who happens to be owned and operated by the one and only author is going to be limited by whether or not the author can release control of decision making. The owner/author may have vested interest in their particular books, even though other books might sell better. Such thoughts can keep the company from growing to its potential. So, how can an HPT help?
Start with the charter. A leader can form an HPT from fellow authors, shareholders, other publishing companies or anyone who might be interested in pitching in. As owner, you can invite others to join and form the group. Once in the group, the individuals begin to discuss the vision, norms and etc. Such topics to tackle might include book topics, taking on new authors, marketing, advertising, whether or not to form an S or C corporation, whether or not to have a publishing party, and how to grow the company for starters. A multi organizational HPT can bring depth and breadth to a stagnant publishing program.
The difficulty for some owners will be to sacrifice their will and turn over problems for a group to solve. That’s natural, but one of the benefits is that your company is now part of the HPT’s DNA and not just yours. The effective group will have capabilities beyond what you can provide. If run correctly, the tradeoff is perfect and the results impressive.
Here are recommendations for forming an HPT
Engage-Invite interested parties and canvas your network and determine who might be interested in joining this group. You may need to build publishing or writing relationships with allies who might help you recruit effective individuals
Focus-Develop a game plan and respect other members time. You can increase effectiveness with a charter as described above
Accountability-Have meeting minutes and document your work and products. Be sure to capture all important decisions and who will act on them. When the group assigns responsibilities to individuals, they tend to come through
Followup-Let the group know you appreciate their efforts. Better yet, assign credit to your group
Have fun-This is a time to allow creativity. Remember, you invited them, let there be less of you and more of the group. Who knows what they will come up with
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