Laura Kemp
The key word in the title of this article is ‘team’. Not colleagues, co-workers or employees but team. Afterall, as we’ve all heard:
“Teamwork makes the dream work!” – John C. Maxwell
Everyone in your company has a unique role to play, without each individual there is a gap in the process. Therefore the first thing to remember when looking to get the most from your team is to recognise their contribution.
Recognition
I’m sure you’ve all been in the position where you have felt taken for granted or wondered if anyone would notice if you took the day off. For many a simple ‘well done’ for a job completed can go a long way to ensure that this isn’t the case.
Celebrate successes, not just one-to-one but publicly. Perhaps a special mention at a team briefing or within a widely circulated email. The success doesn’t have to be a major accomplishment contributing directly to you businesses bottom line, it could be that individual from your customer service team who gained praise from a client.
Trust
It is important to ensure that your staff feel trusted as this will improve confidence and inspire them to be more motivated.
Often it can be easy to forget that each individual is in their role because they are the best person for the job. Whilst it is always nice to know what is going on and be involved in each decision this is not always practical.
Trusting your team to make sensible choices about the small things as well as the big things will not only mean they achieve a lot more, but you will too without having to complete those unnecessary approvals!
Training
Just because someone is capable of their job, doesn’t mean that they can’t learn anything new. We should all be training our staff to allow them to be the best and achieve the most they possibly can within their role.
Consider giving individuals the opportunity to gain a qualification which will give them the recognition for the work that they are doing. This will also give you the confidence in your team that they are each able to carry out tasks effectively and all to the same high standard. In addition having qualified staff can also give your potential clients trust in the service that you offer and help to grow your business.
By providing an environment which is supportive and allows each person to develop further it will encourage loyalty within your team to your company. Consequently this will ensure you retain highly valuable team members and you will not find it necessary for you to have the dreaded task of recruiting.
Just remember that your team are the most valuable asset to your business and with their support and expertise your business objectives will be achieved much more effectively.