Building a strong team follows the same principles as building a strong marriage, says Angus Watt, managing director of individual investor services with National Bank Financial Ltd. in Edmonton. Watt’s team management principles boil down to three Cs: connection, commitment and communication.

> Choose partners who share your business principles.

Like choosing your spouse, you should pick your partners based on common and shared philosophies regarding investments and practice management, he says.

“We are very uniform in philosophy,” Watt says. “When you have a team, you can’t have someone thinking one way and someone else thinking another.”

> Commit to remaining a team.

“Our No. 1 priority is to remain as a team,” Watt says. “We listed that in our business plan. It’s an obvious goal, but we need to remember that as we get bigger. There are ups and downs, and you need to know you are committed no matter what.”

> Communicate throughout conflicts.

“At times, you will have healthy discussions to deal with conflict between members,” Watt says. “Remember, the client’s goodwill comes first; the team’s goodwill comes second. It’s important to be honest and open with each other, because if you aren’t open and honest with your team, you won’t be with clients.”

— OLIVIA GLAUBERZON