In leadership, the axiom goes that “you’re only as good as your team.” In my career, I have grown to appreciate and understand how true this is.
This week, we welcomed two new members to our Ames Chamber of Commerce team. I am incredibly excited to see what they will bring to our organization and how they will positively impact our communities.
When hiring, we look to our core values as the starting point:
- Customer Driven – to provide outstanding service.
- Integrity – Be honest and do the right thing.
- Team Player – Support, encourage, and be accountable to our team.
- Good For It – Lend a hand and do what you say.
- Innovative –Think big, be unafraid, and challenge our organization.
- Greater Good – Allow our organization to impact a more vibrant community.
Once we find the right people, we need to make sure they are in the right seat, doing the work that helps move our organization forward. I am a firm believer in hiring good people and letting them excel. For career professionals, autonomy is not only a way to get the best from each person, but it is a retention tool that we must be mindful of.
Fostering our organization’s culture is something that I think about often. Several years ago, we implemented an entrepreneurial operating system (EOS), and with it, some structure. It has been great for our organization because it allows us to be more efficient, it gives us the ability to identify gaps in our system, and it holds us accountable to each other.
Autonomy is key for our organization because each team member brings a unique skill set that only they can provide. But for our organization to truly excel, we must be accountable to each other, and we need to live by our core values. Communication is key on a weekly, monthly, and quarterly basis (as supported through EOS), and this builds trust. Trust then builds collaboration among the team and the cycle continues to where our organization is performing at a high level.
Each week, I experience first-hand what a great team can do. When I give myself permission to slow down and reflect on the team we have assembled and how our organization impacts our communities across the Ames MSA, I beam with pride. The work will never be done, but that is the appeal and joy of the work we do and the amazing team we do it with.
