As an old saying goes, “no man is an island”. This quote also applies to companies that want to go far and succeed in their niches. You can’t do everything on your own. You’ll need to build a team that you can trust and delegate important tasks to. They can make or break your business. It’s important to choose the right people that not only have the skills and experience, but also the culture fit to thrive and help your organisation reach its full potential.
How do you build a team that’s competitive and effective?
Establish SMART Objectives
SMART stands for Specific, Measurable, Achievable, Relevant, and Time-based. This is a tried and tested approach that many big and small companies have implemented over the years. This enables your team to follow a plan that guides them through the projects and tasks you assign to them. They have goal posts to pass and performance metrics they need to achieve to earn company incentives, get promoted, or stay with your company. Establish deadlines so that your team can move from one campaign or project phase to the next efficiently.
Clearly Defined Roles and Responsibilities
Clearly defined roles enable you to build a team that delivers the results you want to achieve. Delegate tasks to employees with certain skills and expertise. Allowing each one to focus on what they do best improves the overall performance of a team. Their individual contributions add up and lead to finishing a project on time. Identify the strengths and weaknesses of each team member. Doing so enables you to give them tasks suited to their abilities. Some employees are ambitious and willing to do more as long as they get a promotion. You can also consider outsourcing to avoid burning out your employees or giving them work outside their areas of expertise.
Room for Experimentation
It’s important to delineate tasks and establish roles; however, you should also provide leeway to experiment when you build a team. Have brainstorming sessions to get new ideas you can refine and use. Experimentation allows your team to identify different solutions and determine problems they can avoid. This also leads to informed risks your company can take. Risk-taking also allows you to identify growth opportunities.
Diverse Workplace
Build a team based on diversity. A diverse professional background, various skills, and different experience levels create a team that can provide you with distinct views and ideas. They can make creative solutions that can give your company a competitive advantage. Your brainstorming sessions can lead to multiple alternatives and strategies you might not have thought of if your team wasn’t diverse. Encourage different opinions and views; this approach allows you to refine the strategies that come out of your brainstorming sessions.
Accountability for Each Member
Build a team that holds each member accountable. Accountability keeps everyone engaged and performing at a high level. This approach works when your employees see that the leaders in your organisation are practicing what they preach. Other than setting an example, encourage your employees to improve. Provide them with opportunities to hone their skills through training programs and certifications. Give feedback to team members and discuss ways to do things better. These discussions also allow you to keep abreast of their motivation and engagement levels. It helps you understand their career plans and objectives. Group accountability creates a sense of purpose within teams.
Leadership by Example
Your employees will follow a strong leader. Lead your organisation by example to get the results you want. Everything starts from the top. The way you act, the way you do things, your plans, and your response to challenges is a reflection of your leadership. You must also be willing to accept feedback and adapt to situations you encounter. Identify leaders in your organisation and assign teams they can manage. This approach allows you to delegate tasks and improve the efficiency and productivity of operations. Strong leaders and a clear vision boost the morale and motivation of your employees.
Effective Communication
Communication is an important determining success factor for companies that want to boost team performance. Establish lines of communication in your teams. These can be online such as emails, messaging apps, MS Teams, or other similar platforms. In these sessions, discuss the roles, demands, standards, deadlines, and incentives you have for your employees. This communication improves your working relationships with each member of the team. It also enables you to identify problems and resolve them. Regular communication allows you to understand the needs and plans of your team. You can establish performance metrics or lay out a path to promotion based on their professional goals.
Strong Organizational Culture
Your employees will always have their differences. However, one of the things that binds them together is organisational culture. The latter allows your employees to work together despite their differences. Your company culture is something everyone in your company shares such as behaviours, policies, strategies, and others. These act as your team’s guidelines whenever they do their tasks and when they implement your strategic plans. Shared values go beyond company objectives and profits. This also includes the value you provide to your community. Some potential employees look at the values your company espouses before they decide to join them. Establish your company values and mission, and communicate these not just to your employees, but also to your customers and potential employees. Use your website, blog, and social media profiles to showcase your company’s values.
These are some of the best practices you can implement to build a team that’s effective, productive, and goal oriented. The team you create can perform at the level you want or become unmotivated and disengaged. It’s important to identify and implement the right incentives and environment that keeps your employees engaged.
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