To take your business to the next level, then it’s important to have the right support in place. It takes time to build the right team who will be there to help you grow. It starts with hiring the right people, but then developing and training them and creating a team who will be with you and help you to succeed.
But how do you get that winning combination, getting lots of different personalities to work together towards a common goal?
It’s a rare formula, and one which takes a lot of work, time and effort, but here are some tips on how to achieve the nirvana of a perfect team.
The first thing is to involve them as a team with your vision. They need to understand what you are trying to achieve, and what part they play in that. Be open and honest. If you have a business plan for one, two, five, ten years, then share it with them, so they can see what’s going to happen to get you where you want to be.
Tell them about the culture you want to create for the company. How you would like the brand to be perceived by employees and customers, to get them involved and excited about the future of the business. The terminology you use is extremely important, ensure you are inclusive, lots of use of the word ‘we’ and ‘us’ as opposed to just ‘I’.
Then on an ongoing basis, it’s vital to initiate your employees within the day-to-day running of the business. Clearly defined instructions for the role should be given as well as an overall picture of the structure of the company, so each person knows how they fit into the business as a whole. Acknowledge and reward successes or goals met. At the same time, it’s still vital to challenge your staff, so they feel as though they are working towards something, and once achieved, it adds to the sense of achievement and contribution to the overall goals of the company.
Ensure there is a mentor for every single member of staff. This will encourage any problems to be aired, and solutions provided before they become unsolvable. They will be able to coach, be there to support and train the member of staff, and encourage the team to bond as a whole.
Don’t forget to ensure that you put time aside regularly for the team to get to know each other. Whether it’s informal drinks or team-building activities such as go-karting, time out outside of the company environment is important for the team to grow together.
Recognise that each person in the team brings different skills to the table. Embrace those differences and use that to bolster your team. Don’t try and shoehorn anyone into a role that doesn’t suit, or to act in a way which is forcing them to be out of character. Understand that your employees each have their own lives outside of work, and try and involved others within your business if you can by inviting them to informal get-togethers for example.
To curb any negativity and chance that a team can fail, then it’s important to address any issues as early as possible. Ensure everyone is treated equally, get the same recognition, the chance to develop and remain motivated. Try not to micro-manage, but ensure you are there to support.
For a team to succeed and add to your business, then it’s important for you as the leader to support, motivate, be approachable and to lead by example. It’s not something that comes naturally to everyone, and if you need training to help you to be the best manager you can be, then take it. The more you can work on your team, then the more they will pay you in return, and you can all enjoy the fruits of your labours.