Building a Team That Works

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Building a Team That Works

• Lori Croy
• Director, Web Communications
• University of Missouri-Columbia

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Determining Responsibilities

• Would you ask the printing press operator to
  write and edit the alumni magazine?
• Would you ask the telecom installers to have
  your phone conversations with prospective
  students?
• Then why do we ask our Web staff to be
  proficient in areas requiring skills outside
  their skill set?

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To create great sites you need to create a great
team

• What is the ideal Web team?
• How big should the team be?
• What kinds of people should I hire?
• What can I do on a limited budget?

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The Perfect Web Team

• Administrative
• Information Architecture
• Content
• Design
• Technical

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Placing The Right People in the Right Jobs

• Assess your needs
• Set your priorities
• Be realistic about your budget (both present and
  future)
• Are your prepared to provide training?
• Are you prepared to wait for someone to learn new
  skills?

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The Nine Pillars of Successful Web Teams from
adaptivepath

• User research
• Site strategy
• Technology Strategy
• Content Strategy
• Abstract Design

• Technology Implementation
• Content Production
• Concrete Design
• Project Management

Taken from The Nine Pillars of Sucessful Web
Teams, Jesse James Garrett, www.adaptivepath.com
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Writing the Job Description

• Words that will attract your target group
• of applicants

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Creative types

• Writing
• Editing
• Graphic Design
• Marketing
• Multimedia
• Layout
• GUI

• Photography
• Photoshop, Illustrator, Flash, etc.
• Typography
• Branding
• Concept and Design

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Technical Types

• Programming
• HTML, XHTML, XML, CSS, PHP, etc.
• Applications
• Software design
• Database

• Processes
• Content Management System
• Component models
• System interfaces
• Quality Assurance
• Technical standards

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Putting This Approach Into Practice

• You dont have to have a large team of people to
  cover all the bases.
• Its common to have team members with multiple
  competencies.

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Dont Overlook the Soft Skills

• When dealing with information, you have to deal
  with people.
• Dont underestimate the need for staff to have
  the ability to deal with conflicts, negotiate and
  communicate.
• Underscore the need for the soft skills by
  including them, along with the basic
  requirements, in your job descriptions.

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Creativity comes from limited budgets

• Hire people who like to learn!
• Let your staff have the ability to spread their
  wings and expose other talents they may possess.
• Collaborate with others.
• Use consultants or freelancers for projects that
  require heavy lifting.

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Thank You!