Are You A Team Player?

A couple of years ago, I started working with a team of writers. I had good and bad experiences with that team, and the team continued to grow. Then I realised something. It wasn’t working for me. Here’s why.

I was spending more time chasing other writers for work than doing my own writing.

I was spending a lot of time checking work submitted by people who had mislaid the writing brief.

I spent some time redoing work that was not submitted on time or had been plagiarized.

Don’t get me wrong. I also met and worked with some talented and reliable writers and I’m still in touch with them today, but I reached the conclusion that managing a large team of people wasn’t for me.

Instead, it’s better for me to work with a smaller group whom I can get to know. That gives me more time to spend on helping them to develop and much less stress. Three of the writers in my original team now have successful freelancing careers. A couple more people have other priorities, such as full time jobs. Then there are a few who have turned in shoddy work and whom I won’t be contacting again.

That leaves a core of about five writers whom I work with regularly, and five more whom I call upon for jobs they are specially qualified for.

I work better with a small team. How about you?