While the actual act of writing is an individual effort, it takes a team of Writers, editors and researchers working together collectively to produce a great collection of work. Building a successful writing team does not happen by chance. It takes an effective leader to develop and lead the team. Consider the tips included below to help you build a successful team of Writers. When your writing team is successful, you will be successful.

Establish the Rules and Goals from the Very Beginning
From the start, you need to clarify the common goals and purpose of the writing team. Discuss the purpose of the team; how it correlates to the company’s success and any performance goals that you may have established for your Writers. It is important to have a general agreement for the standard of writing quality that is expected by the team. This general agreement should include specific rules, guidelines and specific language that should be used. It should also include your organization’s writing process.

Clarify and Assign Each Person’s Role
Assign roles and responsibilities to your Writers keeping each person’s individual strengths and weaknesses in mind. Some team members will be better at developing concepts. Others may be stronger Writers. Think about who will be responsible for planning, editing, title creation and revising. Define the work that needs to be done and assign the best-qualified candidate to each job responsibility. Don’t be afraid to experiment and rotate roles so that everyone gets a chance to see their ideas come to life. You never know what may capture the attention of your audience. Lastly, allow your team of Writers to have input on their jobs. Leave room for flexibility so long as they meet their goals. Encourage Writers to offer suggestions on what the team works on and how certain projects should be executed.

Give Performance-Based Incentives
Consider setting up a performance incentive program to help motivate your Writers to always put their best effort forward in everything that they do. There are many ways you can structure your performance incentive program. It could be based on how many views their articles attracts, who received the most social media mentions or shares, as well as who has the most comments. If your budget it a little limited, your incentive does not have to be expensive. The reward can be a cash prize, an extra day off, a free lunch or movies passes. Some individuals just need a little more motivation than others. However, with the proper system in place, you can create an environment that is exciting and motivating.

Never Let Conflict in the Workplace Fester
It is only natural; issues will arise among people who work closely together. Never ignore conflicts when they arise hoping that it will resolve itself. Conflict that is handled from an unbiased position can produce constructive ideas that will benefit your team. Pay attention to what is happening. When you see an issue arise, address it constructively.

Building and maintaining a well-rounded team of Writers can take time and effort. However, the end results in a group of individuals who understand that their individual efforts collectively make their team a success. It takes great leadership, a positive work environment, as well as set rules and guidelines explaining what is expected of them.

Content Runner is currently working on features that will allow Users to establish teams of Writers. These teams can be used to complete projects that require a specific style of writing or a specific skill set, such as press releases or title generation. In addition to developing a well-rounded group of Writers to carry out projects, Users can use this function will be able to communicate with Writers regarding their criteria and guidelines on a larger scale. Stay tuned as we continue to develop Content Runner!