It is likely that your new employees will have come from a variety of backgrounds. They will have different personalities and therefore different ideas about how to do their jobs. If you are a manager, it is important to recognise this because having a deep understanding of people is worth its weight in gold. If you can enable each employee to channel their strengths and shine in a way that benefits your business, then you are on the right track.
Here are some tips on turning a group of individuals into a cohesive, successful team that will help your business reach its full potential.
Start by setting the scene for your employees. Let them know what they are aiming for and help them to understand the goals of your company.
Talk about the culture you want to buildPlant the seeds of your business culture in your workers’ minds so it grows and flourishes. Get them excited about being part of the team and the environment.
Describe your plansCreate a vision of where your team should be, six months, a year and two years from now. Use Xero Accounting Software to draw up realistic financial forecasts and share these with your employees.
Explain the environment of customers, prospects, and partnersUse diagrams if necessary to show the interaction between all the people around your company.
Use ‘we’ instead of ‘I’ when talking about your businessIt is a typical startup mistake to associate yourself with your business, but if you want your employees to feel part of a team, then you will need to include them too.
These points will help your employees feel settled and give them a feeling for the situation in which they are working. Once that is done, you can start to bring out the best in them.
It is important to quickly get your employees involved in the day-to-day running of your business. Keep them active and use their strengths to help them integrate and develop.
Give them tasks right awayOn the first day, your new employees should already be doing useful work. Get them engaged right from the start.
Challenge themHelp your employees to push themselves. Use timelines or specific goals (with their input) for them to strive for.
Acknowledge their successesUse the carrot, not just the stick. Always reward success with praise.
Mentor your new hiresPartner your new employees with someone senior on the team. The more mentoring you do, the faster your team will take shape.
Everyone needs to know their job – what’s expected of them and what’s not. If you do not make this clear, the morale of your employees will suffer, and progress and efficiency will be affected.
For example, if one person is waiting for another to finish a task, but the other person does not believe that task is part of their job description, progress will grind to a halt.
So be sure to update roles and task lists frequently. Then your employees will know what they are supposed to be doing.
Budget carefullyDays off work will cost you money in terms of lost productivity, plus the cost of the team-building event itself. Xero Accounting Software will keep your accounts up to date, so you can see at a glance what you can afford.
Examine all the optionsPaintballing? Go-karting? Building log bridges over rivers? Ask your employees which options they might prefer, but be prepared for many different answers.
Don’t forget the simple thingsSomething as low key as providing drinks and snacks for the last hour of a Friday afternoon might work well. Not everyone wants to crawl through the undergrowth in camouflage clothing.
Complementary skill sets can mean contrasting personalities. For example (as a general rule only), salespeople tend to be extroverts while programmers and developers tend to be more introverted. That reflects the type of person drawn to each role and also the demands of the role itself.
Trying to ‘fix’ these differences, so everyone’s the same will not work. In fact, it is likely to backfire badly. At best you will annoy your employees, at worst you will breach diversity and equality legislation.
Ask guest speakers to meet with your teamTalks on anything from organisational psychology to technical matters can help inform your team and improve their skills.
Share development ideas with customers and key business partnersIf you are gearing up for major investment, make sure your customers and business partners are ready for it. Get your staff involved in these discussions.
Invite customers and key partners to staff meetingsGive them the chance to provide feedback and take questions from your team. Do this carefully to avoid giving out confidential business information.
Have a team coachConsider using the services of someone who can provide real-time feedback on how your team is working together.
Getting an outside perspective can also help prevent ‘groupthink’, where employees become subdued and unwilling to challenge the norms of your business. Keep your staff thinking positively and creatively at all times.
Show them you careLearn about things like their family, personal life or hobbies.
Focus on personal growthThink about enhancing your employees’ skill-sets and management skills. Know their career goals and help them get there.
Invest in your employeesGive them the support and tools they need to be successful. This could include things like a healthy working environment, a supportive team or the right software or technical equipment.
Celebrate the little victories!Reward every success, no matter how small it might seem. The goodwill generated will pay you back many times over.
Be positive and stay positiveDon’t lose your cool or lose control, as that will set a bad impression and affect morale.
In this situation, you must tread carefully and follow all local laws, especially those relating to privacy and employment rights. Seek professional advice if necessary.
Sometimes people just won’t fit into your culture, which is again why making the right employee choice is so important. Firing people should be a last resort if you have tried every other option including third-party mediation services and verbal and written warnings. Be sure to follow local legislation if you are forced to take this option.
Inability to work togetherUsually due to personality clashes. Resolving these is one of the hardest tasks for management.
Too many individual projectsPeople who like to excel will feel unmotivated if they have to spread their abilities widely.
Too much individual recognitionFavouring some team members above others will cause resentment.
Competing agendasIf there’s a lack of consensus, productivity will drop.
Top-down talk and micro-managementSaying “Do this, do that” is usually less efficient than setting a goal and letting the team achieve it on their own.
For your team to thrive, you must be approachable, friendly, authoritative and responsible. In other words, a good manager and leader.
You may need the training to help you become a better manager, and there’s no shame in that. Running a business is a learning process – and just like your employees, you can learn and improve.