Still Another Important Step

Having satisfactorily answered the questions in our last post, what's the next step to forming a team? [Note: if you are already part of a team and did NOT answer the previous questions to your satisfaction, you may wish to discuss them as a team. If the results are not satisfactory, please visit our web site at www.GretzConsultingGroup.com. We can help.]

There are several steps you'll wish to take BEFORE signing any team legal agreements your firm or your own lawyer places in front of you. One of the most important is to answer several critical questions for yourself -- we don't necessarily recommend that you share the answers with your prospective teammates.

1. Am I prepared to make and keep the kind of long-term, come heck or high water commitment required to make a team work? Do I have that kind of stick-to-it when membership in the team becomes a pain in the neck [like all relationships, at times it will]?
2. Do I really believe the other members of the team have that kind of commitment?
3. This next one is even harder. Do I have the character to do the right thing when times get tough? [Please don't be insulted or give a flip answer. Really think about this one. We remind you that our recent "Black Swan" saw the demise of hundreds of teams throughout the industry.]
4. Do I sincerely believe that my prospective teammates have the needed character? Why? What makes you think so?
5. Am I prepared to court ALL of my new teammates for the rest of our careers as hard as I court my biggest clients? Courtship is the way we communicate to others that we value them. Soon after the courtship ends, so will the relationship. Remember, divorce is ALWAYS painful and expensive.

We realize that all these questions may make you wonder if a team is really the best answer for you. Good. Teams are really a great way to do business and the pros can far outweigh the cons. However, they are not for everyone and, like any relationship, they take constant, consistent effort to be successful. But, when they are successful, the payoff is huge in every way.
Thanks again. kfg