Blog#3

Building a team / Team building 

We all know the importance of team and collaboration, the power of "we" over "I" and the result of an efficient and well functioning team. Now the question that I have always had is where do you find such people and how do you evaluate them based on having the same vision as you do, the passion for the subject and the drive and commitment to make this dream a reality. 
So here are a few things that could be implemented to build an entrepreneurial team and hiring your first employee. Interview questions : What are you passionate about? Tell me some of your experiences that have been challenging or difficult. What is the change you want to make in the world in your lifetime? How would you describe yourself to an alien? Tell me about your failures. 

This sums up not only knowing the level of passion an individual comes from but also one's level of creativity and self-awareness that helps entrepreneurial ventures grow. 
In addition to this, there are lot many things one can do as a leader to make an ideal employee. Coming from a design background, I have found these things most helpful in generating more ideas.

- Be assertive, yet flexible
This must be established initially to get things going but also be approachable, have an emotional connect but also create a sense of respect, not fear, among employees.

- Observe behavioral traits

This is essential to understand that credit is given where credit is due. Behavioral traits help in making communication, every human is wired different. Once you recognize the reactions and actions of people, it gets easier to tackle difficulties and deploy tasks. 

- Smaller notes of appreciation, in person and publicly can be a driving force for a lot of good work

Respect the work done for me and the company and express this appreciation, this not only builds confidence among employees but also forms a long-lasting bond with the company. When people feel attached, the tasks don’t fall under the realm of company but personal projects; this formulates a community, a life style brand, rather than and individual venture.

- Understand failure

If you feel that employees are getting stuck of falling behind about a certain task, initiate a conversation, make a connection, address issues, resolve issues, there is always a reason for short comings of people. I would try to understand the root cause of these and assert my future actions based on these feedbacks.

Collaborative Leadership

The most important one, I strongly believe in a collaborative leadership module. When people are given responsibilities, and awarded for good work, they aspire to be more. This injects ambitions in them. I would let people take certain leadership decisions, let them step into my shoes in a small way, limit them, but still let them feel the importance and aspirations of growth and responsibility.

As Sam Walton, founder of Wal-Mart said:" Individuals don't win in business, teams do."

References:

[1]hiring-an-entrepreneurial-leader

[Additional Facts]
As I am deciding the features of the social venture and the roll out plan in the future, and since I had already designed a product, I wanted to look at how the venture could deal with low cost resources at the beginning and the move forward towards a product, if necessary. Following are some excellent examples of ventures that have a huge impact with minimal but extremely efficient resources. 
Current mental health social entrepreneurs: Competitive Data Search
- La Fageda, founded but Colon Cristobal is a dairy in Italy with 280 workers, of which 160 have been diagnosed with some form of mental illness or disability. It provides housing, work and peer support opportunities comprised of a group of psychologists that overlook the worker's professional and personal rehabilitation. 
- National Institute of Behavioral Sciences in India founded by Kedar Ranjan Banerjee emphasis on mental health services in non-elite neighborhoods. They deal with stigma and embarrassment attached to illnesses by integrating care and rehabilitation into their daily lives. 
- Adalberto Barreto, Brazil has successfully overcome emotional and psychological troubles through community therapy, using lay people as opposed to expensive professionals with more than 3 million people participating in these sessions and 88% successfully overcoming their problems. 
- Vicki Bernadet in Spain founded FADA which is the only organization in Spain that provides support for adults sexually abused during their childhood. Additionally it also recognizes the root cause of sexually abuse among children and works for preventing the same.
- Ricardo Lopez in Bolivia has a rather different approach to community therapy. This community focuses on bringing people together through music in a joined musical activity. This approach is viable and feasible as well as empowering on many vertical levels  that can be implemented across a wide spectrum of the population.
- Another interesting organization is the one by Paul Rieckhoff who is trying to develop communication between the general public and veterans which is a two-way beneficial stream. It equips the veterans with a mode of communication thus facilitating a conversation about future military conflicts amongst the future generation but also provides the veterans with a way to tell their stories and expertise and not suffer in silence the effects of combat. 
- And lastly, for now, there is Survivor Corps network boy Jerry White, that supports the survivors of conflict through peer support, public awareness, advocacy, re-bulding through collective action by utilizing[the power of inclusive development. 

References:
1] https://www.madinamerica.com/2012/04/why-we-need-mental-health-social-entrepreneurship/