The Makings of a Group

The ultimate pursuit in business. To attain a group. A true team. Loyal, focused and driven to attain the goals of the group. It's fantastically difficult to attain but virtually indestructible once created.

Here are the makings of a group as I see it:

1) Everyone is focused on an agreed upon goal. In other words, there's a mountain and everyone see's it and is focused on climbing it without any deviation or distractions. The goal needs to be completely known throughout the group, intertwined into everyday actions, targets and programs. "What will we do today to take the mountain?" Get a goal, make it known and pursue it.

2) The group thinks in futures, meaning that everyone in the group is focused on their future within the group. Where will we be in 2 years, 5 years, 20 years..... This then breeds loyalty to the group and therefore strengthens the group as a whole. A great group is one that no one would ever want to leave.

3) The group works as a unit, synchronizing every action and coordinating efforts. No individuals are in the group, only one unit that operates as a unit knowing and acting with every area, division and department fully reliant and responsible for each other.

4) No internal chatter about another group member in a derogatory way. Any person that seeks to bring down another within the group is immediately ousted.

5) Everyone in the group plays to their strengths and covers others weaknesses in order to push the group forward and be strong as a group.

6) The group encourages, acknowledges and pushes each other within the group forward to move toward the goal.

7) The group has a set of rewards and penalties for hitting targets and missing targets that is agreed upon and known.

8) The group treats the goal as a game and play's the game to win. Let's not be bashful here, the goal is to win. Second place is as good as last place.

9) The group thinks big and set's large targets to become the elite in their field. The group also doesn't allow anyone to think small and set tiny targets that are undesirable. If we're going to go after it, let's go after the entire cake to eat it while letting others set targets for slices that they don't eat.

10) Everyone in the group acts and operates as a complete professional. There is no tolerance for amateurs that cause problems and cause the group to have setbacks. Only professionals make it in a real group and the group members expect the very best performance out of each group member.

That to me is 10 criteria of a powerful group that would overcome any obstacle or barrier. Our agency seeks to attain these 10 points daily in order to become a fierce competitor in the global business playing field. To me, people are the essence of business and the very fiber of a group as listed above. If you can attain a real group that operates this way and works together then anything is achievable. One of the senior goals of your company should be the pursuit to create a real group. Figure that out and you have the keys to prosperity.

- Robert Cornish
CEO, Richter10.2 Media Group