Assignment: Building Effective Teams
Objective
This assignment helps startup founders apply team-building strategies to create effective, collaborative, and goal-driven teams. You will reflection your leadership style, team dynamics, and strategies for fostering a growth mindset in your startup.
Instructions
- Answer each section in bullet points or short paragraphs (2–5 sentences each).
- Keep responses concise and focused on your startup.
- Use real examples from your startup’s industry or target audience.
Assignment Questions
1. Understanding Your Leadership Style
(a) What leadership style best describes you?
👉 Example: Transformational, Servant, Democratic, Autocratic, etc.(b) How does your leadership style influence your team’s success?
👉 Describe how your approach helps (or challenges) your team dynamics.
(c) What is one leadership skill you need to improve?
👉 Example: Communication, delegation, conflict resolution, adaptability.
2. Team Composition & Roles
(a) List the core members of your team and their key roles.
👉 Example:
Co-Founder (You) – Visionary & Business Development
Tech Lead – Software Development
Marketing Lead – Customer Acquisition
Operations Lead – Logistics & Scaling
(b) What key skills are missing from your team?
👉 Example: Financial management, product design, legal expertise.
(c) How do you plan to fill these gaps?
👉 Example: Hiring, partnerships, mentorship, outsourcing.
3. Collaboration & Team Dynamics
(a) How do you ensure effective communication within your team?
👉 Example: Regular team check-ins, project management tools (Slack, Asana, Notion), open feedback culture.
(b) How does your team handle disagreements or conflicts?
👉 Example: Mediation process, voting, structured discussions.
(c) How do you foster a culture of trust and accountability?
👉 Example: Setting clear expectations, tracking progress, rewarding contributions.
4. Growth Mindset & Team Development
(a) How do you encourage learning and professional growth within your team?
👉 Example: Team workshops, online courses, mentorship programs.
(b) How do you leverage the strengths of each team member?
👉 Example: Assigning tasks based on skills, allowing team members to take ownership of key areas.
(c) What is one team-building activity you have done (or plan to do)?
👉 Example: Hackathons, brainstorming retreats, skill-sharing sessions.
5. Team Charter & Founder Agreement
(a) What are your team’s core values?
👉 Example: Innovation, Integrity, Impact, Customer-Centricity, Resilience.
(b) Have you created a Team Charter or Founder Agreement? If not, what key elements should it include?
👉 Example: Equity split, decision-making process, conflict resolution, roles and responsibilities.
(c) How do you ensure long-term alignment among your team members?
👉 Example: Regular check-ins, shared vision-setting, performance reviews.
6. Reflection & Next Steps
(a) What is one thing your team is doing well?
👉 Example: Strong communication, problem-solving, innovation.
(b) What is one area your team needs to improve?
👉 Example: Delegation, time management, conflict resolution.
(c) What will you do in the next 30 days to strengthen your team?
👉 Example: Hire a key team member, implement a new collaboration tool, schedule a team-building session.
- Call to Action (Funding/Partnerships Needed)
Submission: Not required
Keep answer short and to the point
Due Date: None
