Casting Your Dream Team

I’m a HUGE movie buff, the kind that dissects EVERYTHING - consistency, props, story flow, costumes, camera angles, script, and yes, casting.

To me, outside of a good script, the most important element to a good movie is proper casting.

Having the right or wrong actor in a role can create a completely different tone in a movie. Ask any television or film producer, and they will agree that casting is the most critical component to a movie or television series’ success. After all, casting is what breathes life into the characters that were written and getting this right can make the difference between an audience feeling connected, or disengaged.

Just like in film casting, casting the team you need to execute your businesses’ day-to-day activities is critical.

As the ‘casting director’ for your company, you have to understand what each job entails and the role it plays within your business. When reviewing possible candidates, you have to determine whether or not the person you are considering is the person that can not only execute the tasks you're asking them to do, but also convey your company culture. After all, your team should be a natural extension of you.

Another important thing to consider when looking to build your team is identifying the ‘diamonds in the rough’. In film, a B actor, when given a chance to prove themselves, can pull together an amazing performance and even become an Oscar winner. A great example of this is Jennifer Aniston. She delivered great comedic performances in television through her character on Friends, but also proved to be a formidable dramatic actress with her role in the film Cake.

Bring that analogy to the online business world and you might have a Virtual Assistant on your hands that has a lot more skills than you're utilizing. They might even have the capability to be groomed into online business managers. Or perhaps they have a flair for writing or graphic design. These ‘diamonds in the rough’ could be greater assets for you, if given the opportunity to be utilized effectively.

The Virtual Assistant world is filled with ‘diamonds in the rough.’ There are so many people who start out under this title, who can do a wide variety of tasks, but who are looked down upon because they have the word ‘assistant’ in their title. So a word of caution here– don’t exploit a ‘diamond in the rough’. Instead ask yourself:

‘How do I feel when I’m underappreciated and undervalued?

'Would I accept a lower price for my work simply because I had the wrong ‘title’ attached to my name?’

Likewise, you may also have someone who is cast in a role they aren’t suited for. You spend your time training, reworking, trying to get them to ‘fit’, but the bottom line is, they just don’t. They either lack the experience, or you’re asking them to do tasks that don’t fall into their job description. This is an important thing to consider.

Often times, entrepreneurs dive into hiring not being fully aware of which tasks actually fall under which job descriptions. This tends to happen with tasks that aren’t 100% obvious or when the entrepreneur has a strict budget. Then some roles can get rolled into one or two positions. Now enter the fabulously skilled Virtual Assistant, creating social posts might land into her bucket initially, but, technically, that’s a task that would fall under a Social Media Manager’s job description.

Your company culture should be a reflection of how you work. What you represent. How you want to be treated, and how you expect others to treat both you and your customer.

We all know that business success doesn’t happen on it’s own. Behind every successful business is a team of people, perfectly matched to execute its vision. It’s for this reason you must take your hiring seriously. Remember, the people you work with are an extension of you and your brand! They should be helping you, guiding you, and supporting you.