Building a successful team is more than just putting together a group of highly-skilled people. Of course, the technical side is important but equally important is nailing the art of fostering a strong sense of teamwork. We had the chance to talk to Tomás Archer de Carvalho, (Chief Innovation Officer) and Patricia Cuenca Margüenda (Chief Collaboration Office) from imatch • innovation collective on how they lay the groundwork for a productive, inspired and cooperative team. 

1. Have a strong organisational culture
One of the first things that came up in the conversation is that having a strong organisational culture makes all the difference in their operation. Having a strong sense of identity allows you to have a clear vision of what type of people you want to bring along – and which values are non-negotiable to you. At iMatch, for example, they have a department just for that purpose. How cool is that?

2.The human dimension is the most important thing
As a start-up owner, you’re likely to have people from all sorts of backgrounds working with you. Leverage that. Everyone can bring something to the table and having the right mindset comes a long way in achieving results for the company.

3. Empower your employees
There’s no point in working with people you don’t trust – and people are likely to respond well to some degree of freedom. Be transparent in what you expect from your team, have constant feedback sessions and you won’t have to breathe on anyone’s neck or micromanage.

4. Include them in your decision-making processes 
According to Tomás and Patrícia, one of the most special things about iMatch is transparency. When people are included in the decision-making processes, they will better understand the importance of their contributions.