“Standards of Teamwork,” because it’s all about the team

I believe we live and die by the team. Call me crazy, but I know I can’t do it all by myself. The public relations industry is full of days which are fast-paced, tiresome and long hours. It’s not always glamorous, but when the work is done right can be extremely rewarding.

I’ve learned that it’s not just about filling vacancies, but bringing together people who share a similar purpose, vision and drive for excellence.

Bringing the “right” people together doesn’t automatically result in success. Everyone brings their own strengths, weaknesses, personalities and individual nuances. It is on those most challenging of days that our strengths and weaknesses are more visible and our true character and teamwork is tested. A strong and united team is the most important thing and will determine whether or not we succeed or fail–together.

Our team recently created a Standards of Teamwork document which we all agreed to honor. In fact, it’s now part of the new hire process for Sevans Strategy employees. We’d like to share it with others in the profession as a resource for you to beg, borrow and steal from.

• We communicate effectively with one another. This includes, assignments, project status, progress and results.
• We know when to pick up the phone or meet face-to-face. Frustrations among the team are not shared via email.
• We respect one another’s unique and valuable gifts and learn and celebrate them.
• We make good on our promises and support one another.
• We do what needs to be done to deliver results that consistently exceed expectations.
• We are positively charged to inspire one other–including ourselves.
• No matter the project, we are there in spirit! We stand by our team.
  
• We accelerate even the small victories for our clients and strive for excellence.
• We thrive in chaos and serenity because together we warmly welcome any challenge or surprise.
• We communicate regularly with our clients and are proactive in suggesting change to garner results.
• We celebrate and own our successes and failures together.
• We learn from our mistakes and put practices in place to ensure they do not happen again.
• We recognize team members, partners and clients on a regular basis via the @SevansSnapCup Twitter ID.

Do you have a standard, code or other statement to keep your team on track? I’d love to hear about it.