How to Be Your Best Teammate In Your Career Transition Project

The Team Project Performance Domain: Building support systems as a solopreneur

"You're one of the best mentors I've ever worked with."

"You have a gift for making people feel heard and understood."

"You make complex goals feel achievable."

This is actual feedback I received over the years as a project manager. I could help my project team members break down overwhelming tasks, push through challenges, and understand how their work connected to bigger goals. I strived to be the synthesizer, the facilitator, the one who helped others thrive.

Now the person who needs mentoring most is me.

And I'm terrible at it.

Several months into my solopreneur adventure, as I started to develop a personal brand, I've discovered something humbling: Being a great teammate to others doesn't automatically translate to being a great teammate to yourself.

The collaboration I thrived on? Gone.

The creative bursts that sparked my best ideas? Missing.

The ability to mentor and guide someone through challenges? Apparently only works when that someone isn't me.

Building a Team as a Solopreneur

The Team Performance Domain Reality Check

In the PMBOK 7th Edition, Team is one of the core Project Performance Domain because most meaningful work happens through and with other people.

Even when your "team" is technically just you.

But here's what I learned the hard way:

When you transition from leading teams to being a team of one, you don't just lose teammates.

You lose team dynamics that you might not have realized you needed.

What I lost in my career transition:

The Collaboration Energy: That spark that happens when ideas build on each other in real-time conversations.

The External Perspective: Other people seeing possibilities and blind spots that I can't see from inside my own head.

The Mentor Support: Someone checking in on progress, asking good questions, celebrating wins.

The Division of Strengths: Each person contributing their best skills while others handle what they're not great at.

The Mentee Flow: Helping others grow and develop, which actually energized and motivated me more than solo work.

The Shared Load: Emotional support when things get tough, shared excitement when things go well.

The Mentoring Paradox

Here's the part that surprised me most: I could mentor anyone through most challenges except my own.

When a team member said "This feels overwhelming":

• I'd help them break it into smaller pieces

• I'd remind them of past successes in similar situations

• I'd ask questions to help them see solutions they already knew

• I'd celebrate their progress and normalize their struggles

When I feel overwhelmed:

• I spiral into "I should have this figured out by now"

• I forget every challenge I've successfully navigated before

• I criticize myself for not knowing things I've never done before

• I minimize my progress and maximize my problems

I realized I have two completely different standards: for team members (compassionate, developmental, encouraging) and for myself (harsh, illogical, impatient).

The Collaboration Withdrawal

I didn't realize how much of my creative energy came from bouncing ideas off other people until I didn't have people to bounce them off.

In corporate: "What if we tried..." "That reminds me of..." "What about this angle..." "Yes, and we could also..."

Solo: Staring at a blank screen wondering if my ideas are any good, with no one to reality-check them with.

The brainstorming magic I thought was just "how ideas happen" was actually "how ideas happen when you have thinking partners."

Turns out, my brain works better in collaboration mode than in isolation mode. And I bet that's the case for most of us.

Building Your Team When Your Team is You

After months of struggling with solo everything, I realized I needed to apply PMI's Team Project Performance Domain principles to my situation.

Just because I don't have employees doesn't mean I don't need team dynamics.

I had to learn to:

1. Be my own best teammate AND find external collaboration

2. Mentor myself with the same care I showed others

3. Create accountability systems that replace team check-ins

4. Build a support network that provides different kinds of team energy

The Self-Mentoring Framework

Step 1: Talk to Yourself Like You'd Talk to a Team Member

Instead of: "You should have figured this out by now." Try: "This is a new challenge. What have you learned from similar situations before?"

Instead of: "Everyone else seems to know what they're doing." Try: "Learning curves are normal. What's one small step you could take today?"

Instead of: "This isn't working fast enough." Try: "Progress doesn't always look linear. What evidence of progress can you see?"

Step 2: Ask Yourself the Questions You'd Ask Team Members

• "What's really challenging about this?"

• "What would success look like here?"

• "What resources or support would help?"

• "What would you try if you knew you couldn't fail?"

• "What would you tell a friend in this situation?"

Step 3: Create External Check-ins

Since I don't have team meetings anymore, I created:

• Weekly accountability calls with other entrepreneurs

• Monthly "advisory board" conversations with mentors

• Quarterly strategy sessions with business-savvy friends

• Regular coffee chats with people in adjacent industries

Step 4: Celebrate Progress Like You'd Celebrate Team Wins

I used to be great at recognizing team member progress and growth. Now I track:

• Weekly wins (no matter how small)

• Monthly progress reviews (what's working, what isn't)

• Quarterly growth assessments (skills developed, challenges overcome)

• Annual reflection on how far I've come

The External Team You Actually Need

You don't need employees to have team dynamics. You need the right mix of external relationships that provide different kinds of team energy:

The Thinking Partners (Brainstorming & Collaboration)

• Other entrepreneurs or freelancers in your industry

• People with complementary skills who think differently than you

• Former colleagues who understand your background and can bridge ideas

The Accountability Partners (Progress & Check-ins)

• Fellow career transitioners who check in regularly

• Business acquaintances with similar goals and timelines

• Mentors or coaches who ask good questions consistently

The Advisory Board (Strategy & Perspective)

• People ahead of you in similar journeys

• Industry experts who can spot opportunities and pitfalls

• Trusted friends with business sense and honest feedback

The Emotional Support Team (Encouragement & Reality Checks)

• Family and friends who believe in your vision

• Peer groups going through similar transitions

• Professional networks that normalize entrepreneurial challenges

The Skills Exchange Network (Complementary Strengths)

• Other solopreneurs you can trade services with

• People with skills you lack who need skills you have

• Professional communities where you can both give and receive help

What I Wish I'd Known About Team Building as a Solopreneur

1. You Can't Replace Team Dynamics, But You Can Recreate Them

The energy of real-time collaboration with trusted colleagues is unique and irreplaceable. But you can create different types of collaboration that provide similar benefits:

• Structured brainstorming sessions with thinking partners

• Accountability partnerships with regular check-ins

• Skill-sharing relationships where you each contribute strengths

• Mentoring exchanges where you both give and receive guidance

2. Being Your Own Mentor Requires External Perspective

I can't be objective about my own progress and challenges the way I could be about team members'. I need outside perspectives to:

• See blind spots I can't see

• Recognize progress I'm too close to notice

• Ask questions I'm not thinking to ask myself

• Provide encouragement when internal motivation is low

3. Different Types of Loneliness Need Different Solutions

• Strategic loneliness (making big decisions alone) → Advisory board relationships

• Creative loneliness (generating ideas alone) → Thinking partner collaborations

• Motivational loneliness (staying accountable alone) → Accountability partnerships

• Emotional loneliness (celebrating and struggling alone) → Peer support groups

• Skill loneliness (handling everything alone) → Skills exchange networks

4. Team Building is Ongoing, Not One-Time

In corporate, teams were assigned and maintained by the organization. As a solopreneur, team building is a continuous part of your job.

You need to:

• Actively cultivate and maintain relationships

• Regularly assess what kinds of team energy you're missing

• Adjust your external team as your business evolves

• Invest time and energy in supporting others so they support you

The Team Performance Domain Framework for Solopreneurs

Phase 1: Team Needs Assessment

• What team dynamics did you thrive on in previous roles?

• What types of collaboration energize you most?

• Where do you struggle most without team input?

• What kinds of external perspective would be most valuable?

Phase 2: External Team Design

• Map the different types of team relationships you need

• Identify potential people for each type of relationship

• Create structured ways to engage with thinking partners

• Establish regular touchpoints and check-ins

Phase 3: Self-Mentoring System Development

• Practice talking to yourself like you'd talk to a valued team member

• Create frameworks for self-assessment and progress tracking

• Develop celebration rituals for wins and milestones

• Build in regular self-coaching conversations

Phase 4: Team Relationship Management

• Maintain consistent communication with your external team

• Provide value to others in your network (it's not just about what you need)

• Regularly evaluate and adjust your team relationships

• Continuously build new connections as your needs evolve

What I'm Learning About Team Building in Real Time

Some days I miss the corporate team energy intensely. The spontaneous brainstorming, the shared excitement about project wins, the collective problem-solving when things got challenging.

Other days I appreciate the freedom of being a team of one. No personalities to manage, no competing priorities to navigate, no compromise required on vision and direction.

Most days it's about integration. Learning to be my own best teammate while building external relationships that provide the collaboration and support I need.

What I'm discovering:

• I'm actually a better mentor to myself when I have external thinking partners. Other people help me see my own situation more clearly.

• I can create different types of team energy through intentional relationship building. It doesn't happen automatically like in corporate, but it can be just as valuable.

• Being great at supporting others is actually a superpower for building external teams. People want to collaborate with someone who knows how to be a good teammate.

• I don't miss managing team drama, but I do miss the energy of shared purpose. Finding people with aligned goals creates similar motivation.

Your Turn: Team Performance Domain Audit

Team Dynamics Assessment:

• What aspects of team collaboration did you thrive on in previous roles?

• Where do you struggle most without team input or support?

• What types of external perspective would be most valuable for your current goals?

Self-Mentoring Check:

• How do you talk to yourself when facing challenges vs. how you'd talk to a team member?

• What questions do you ask yourself vs. questions you'd ask someone you're mentoring?

• How do you celebrate your progress vs. how you'd celebrate team member wins?

External Team Needs:

• What kinds of thinking partners would energize your creative process?

• Who could provide accountability and check-ins for your goals?

• What skills or perspectives are you missing that others could provide?

• Where do you need emotional support and encouragement?

Team Building Opportunities:

• Who in your network could become thinking partners or accountability partners?

• What professional communities or peer groups align with your goals?

• How could you provide value to others while building relationships you need?

Remember: You don't need employees to have team dynamics. You need intentional relationships that provide collaboration, accountability, and support.

Being a team of one doesn't mean being alone. It means being strategic about building the external team relationships that energize your best work.

Sometimes the most important team building starts with learning to be your own best teammate.

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Next up in the Performance Domains series: Planning - or "How to Plan When You Don't Know What You Don't Know (And Why That's Actually Perfect)."

Following The Intuitive PM Approach™? I'm sharing real-time lessons about building team dynamics as a solopreneur. Because the best team strategies come from actual team building challenges in progress.