Putting your team together

Getting a social enterprise off the ground is a team endeavour. While individual founders may come up with innovative ideas, it takes a range of knowledge and skills—rarely possessed by a single person—to transform that vision into reality.

People who set up social enterprises sometimes fall victim to the “Founder Syndrome”: they are so attached to their vision that they fail to adapt and delegate, ultimately overextending themselves beyond their capacity to run the organisation successfully.

To avoid this pitfall, social enterprise founders should start thinking at an early stage about bringing co-founders and team members on board. While this may mean giving up some control over the enterprise, it also enables the social entrepreneur to draw on a wider range of connections, resources, and perspectives that ultimately strengthen the organisation.

The right skills

The exact positions and titles of the leadership team may vary based on the venture model, but Andy Horsnell of the management consultancy Aperio recommends that a social enterprise team include players with the following competencies:

• Recent experience in a small business startup
• Extensive knowledge of the customer base
• Technical expertise

The right fit

Social mission fit: Is the team member committed to the broader vision of the social enterprise?

Cultural fit: How well will the team member adapt to the work culture of the organisation?

Founder fit: How does the team member complement the founder’s skill set? Will their personalities enable effective collaboration?

In the comments below, reflect on a team you have been a part of in the past. What made this team particularly effective (or, perhaps, ineffective) at accomplishing its goals?