Questions on Managing a Team and Keeping on Task

[infel]

So I've always wondered how people are able to keep a team together and keep on task. The reason I need some advice is I'm just not sure how to go about it. I think progress for what I'm doing is going okay, but if I plan to ever move forward and be more serious, I and others like me need some tips of keeping teams together, staying on task, and maybe even finding dedicated people.

Questions

How do you go about hiring? What kind of things do you say?

Do you make schedules? If so how? (I personally am never able to do this one)

How do you keep a team together?

Do you assign tasks? If so how?

How do you make sure you hire or partner up with reliable people?

How do you keep your team motivated?

Thanks for any help. Not all the questions have to be answered. I just need some advice and maybe this thread can help others to.

[KittyWills]

How do you go about hiring? What kind of things do you say?

Be honest and clear of what you are looking from them. As well as what you are offering them. Get numbers and payment agreed on before any work is started. (trust me, you will avoid so many issues doing this). Make sure they are clear with you as well. If they jump around questions or avoid important topic concerning what needs to be done you don't want to work with them. Is this someone you can get along with, even in a professional setting if you start hating each other it'll kill the project.

Do you make schedules? If so how? (I personally am never able to do this one)

Have REALISTIC deadlines and make sure they work for your team. If you work part time you are able to do more work then the person who works two jobs. And find out what types work best for your team. Some groups make deadlines for everything (ei. sprite A needs to be done this week, sprite B next week) Our groups is more lax and use broad deadlines. (ei. finish script in march, code in april, release in may). Find out what works best for you and don't beat yourself up if you or someone on your team can't make one. Life Happens.

How do you keep a team together?

Communication. If you don't talk you don't work, if you don't work you aren't a team. How to keep a team motivated is similar to this.

Do you assign tasks? If so how?

We don't really "assign" tasks. The background artist makes BGs, the composer makes music. It should be clear before you hiring them of what their job is. If you have multiple artists they should be working together but have a clear idea what they need to do.

How do you make sure you hire or partner up with reliable people?

This one is hard; no matter where you are. Even when I hire people for my "real job" sometimes they don't work out. As much as it sucks you have to be okay tossing bad apples. It only takes one to kill a project.
You just have to keep at it, it might take a while but you will find like-minded souls. Be honest and transparent. You have to be reliable yourself and others will find you.

How do you keep your team motivated?

I find being active to be the best motivation. When your teams sees each other posting content it encourages them to work more as well. Use a group sharing site or program like google drive so people can view things. You don't need to put everything in there or the HQ items, but don't keep it all hidden to your self as well.

This is what I've learned in my travels. Hope that helps!

[infel]

How do you go about hiring? What kind of things do you say?

Be honest and clear of what you are looking from them. As well as what you are offering them. Get numbers and payment agreed on before any work is started. (trust me, you will avoid so many issues doing this). Make sure they are clear with you as well. If they jump around questions or avoid important topic concerning what needs to be done you don't want to work with them. Is this someone you can get along with, even in a professional setting if you start hating each other it'll kill the project.

Do you make schedules? If so how? (I personally am never able to do this one)

Have REALISTIC deadlines and make sure they work for your team. If you work part time you are able to do more work then the person who works two jobs. And find out what types work best for your team. Some groups make deadlines for everything (ei. sprite A needs to be done this week, sprite B next week) Our groups is more lax and use broad deadlines. (ei. finish script in march, code in april, release in may). Find out what works best for you and don't beat yourself up if you or someone on your team can't make one. Life Happens.

How do you keep a team together?

Communication. If you don't talk you don't work, if you don't work you aren't a team. How to keep a team motivated is similar to this.

Do you assign tasks? If so how?

We don't really "assign" tasks. The background artist makes BGs, the composer makes music. It should be clear before you hiring them of what their job is. If you have multiple artists they should be working together but have a clear idea what they need to do.

How do you make sure you hire or partner up with reliable people?

This one is hard; no matter where you are. Even when I hire people for my "real job" sometimes they don't work out. As much as it sucks you have to be okay tossing bad apples. It only takes one to kill a project.
You just have to keep at it, it might take a while but you will find like-minded souls. Be honest and transparent. You have to be reliable yourself and others will find you.

How do you keep your team motivated?

I find being active to be the best motivation. When your teams sees each other posting content it encourages them to work more as well. Use a group sharing site or program like google drive so people can view things. You don't need to put everything in there or the HQ items, but don't keep it all hidden to your self as well.

This is what I've learned in my travels. Hope that helps!

Thank you. This is good advice =D. I think the only thing I never want to do is nag too much when asking what's going on. I know sometimes that can be a bit annoying for people you work with, so I try to space it out like waiting three days and then ask how progress is going. But this is good advice =D. Thanks again.

[curry nochi rice]

How do you go about hiring? What kind of things do you say?
<greetings> + <self-introduction> + <introduce your project> + <state what you need in numbers (e.g. 11 backgrounds/420 sprites)> + <deadlines/timetables>

Do you make schedules? If so how? (I personally am never able to do this one)
Gantt Chart

How do you keep a team together?
C O M M U N I C A T I O N AND D E A D L I N E S. The moment you stop communicating is the moment you start losing people.

Do you assign tasks? If so how?
Difficult ones first.

How do you make sure you hire or partner up with reliable people?
Check their thread/tumblr pages if they live a stable life.

[infel]

How do you go about hiring? What kind of things do you say?
<greetings> + <self-introduction> + <introduce your project> + <state what you need in numbers (e.g. 11 backgrounds/420 sprites)> + <deadlines/timetables>

Do you make schedules? If so how? (I personally am never able to do this one)
Gantt Chart

How do you keep a team together?
C O M M U N I C A T I O N AND D E A D L I N E S. The moment you stop communicating is the moment you start losing people.

Do you assign tasks? If so how?
Difficult ones first.

How do you make sure you hire or partner up with reliable people?
Check their thread/tumblr pages if they live a stable life.

Thank you for the advice. I see both of you have communication as one of the most important things and you''re very right. I'll work with what you've guys said and will do my best.

[Tyrantauranox]

About finding reliable people:
My 3D art teacher from back in the day would sometimes bring some of his students onto his side contract projects. He'd always start them off with a test task that requires a few hours of work first, though. Even if the results didn't look great, completing the task earned them a spot on the project. Despite that easy requirement, most of the students never turned anything in, no matter how excited they seemed to be initially. The reason I found out about this process is because I was given one of those tasks, and was the only one to complete it at all.