Team Management

Whether you have a team of 50, or you have one assistant, in order to run an efficient business, you need to streamline your team.  What the heck is that?  Well, it’s basically creating clear processes, steps, and procedures for everything your team does, including:

1.  Clarify every detail of their job responsibilities.  What EXACTLY do you want them to do? When? How?  For example, if you have an office manager and you tell them to answer the phones- what do you want them to say?  If you want him/her to do “follow up” with potential clients, how do they do it? (Phone, email, letter?)  What exactly to do want them to say?  Creating scripts and templates are incredibly helpful any time you want your team to communicate with potential or actual clients/customers.  As you go through this process, make sure what each person is doing is in their “unique abilities” and the only overlap between positions is intentional and purposeful.
2. Create clear guidelines for team communication.  Again, number of team members is irrelevant.  You need to clarify these details: Who needs to communicate with whom?  When?   How does the communication take place (phone, skype, in person, email?).  What is the agenda for each meeting and who determines the agenda?  How long is each meeting?
3. Get your team and your coach involved in the process.  In general, my clients have better success in creating their team systems when they engage both their coach and at least one or two of their team members in the process.  Others can often see what you can’t see for yourself.  And the collective power of group synergy almost always yields bigger and better results than any one person can accomplish on their own.

Regardless of how long (or little) you’ve been in business for yourself, your team systems are a work in progress.  As your business grows, needs change.  Be sure to update your job responsibilities and team communication system at least once a year.

If you’d like help with any of the systems in your business- including customer care, daily operations, team, and marketing- send us an email.  I’d be happy to talk with you to determine if we are a good fit.  If you have any questions, please contact us.  We’d love to hear from you.

Developing an effective, efficient team can be a tough part of running a small or medium size business. And yet, with the right mindset and focus, you can create a team that will vastly accelerate your business growth (and your happiness).

1- Build loyalty. You want to find team members who believe in the vision of your business and are passionate about both their work and the success of your company. Find opportunities to reward loyalty and commitment to your business success.

2 - Make sure every member of your team understands their responsibilities, their goals, and why they are important to your business. Clarity in these areas is crucial for success.

3 – Show appreciation for good work and address conflicts immediately. One of the biggest mistakes business owners make is avoiding addressing problems immediately. Check in and assess whether team members fully understand their job responsibilities, are learning from their mistakes, and are working towards improvement, with a positive attitude.

4 – Give an objective assessment. An objective assessment will help you identify the strengths and weaknesses of yourself and your team.  It will also help you ensure you have the right people in the right place.  If their strengths don’t match the needs of their position, consider moving them to another position that is a better fit.

5 – Trust your gut and let go of people who are not right for your business. It may take some time to be able to differentiate a team member who is “good fit” for your team vs. someone who is a “bad fit” for your team (an assessment  will help, but in the end, you will learn the most by the behavior of the team member over time).

And remember, when you let a “bad fit” person go, you liberate that person to find a better job for him/her, and you free up space to find a person who is a better fit for your business.

Teams can make or break success in business. And they can have an enormous impact on your happiness as you run your business. Take the time to find the right people for each position on your team- and you will enjoy more ease, joy, and growth in your business.

If you’d like help with your team development, please contact us at info@exceleratedsuccess.com.