It’s amazing how many business owners are so focused on their bottom line that they don’t even think of the people who keep the company afloat. If you want to be taken seriously, then it is time for your employees to start taking themselves more seriously.
In the modern world, your success as a business owner is contingent on how well you can manage and lead your team. You have to be able to spot talent in order to make sure you’re only hiring those who will work hard for you. In addition, it’s important that employees are engaged in what they’re doing because if they are disengaged then their productivity will suffer. However, this isn’t always easy–especially when people are inexperienced or don’t know what they want out of life. Here are some ways to improve your team’s productivity:
Have a team meeting
It’s critical that everyone be on the same page before you can make any changes. Get them together and talk about what is going well and what needs to be improved. Be open with your employees–they deserve to know where they stand. Have an action plan in place before your meeting concludes so that there is no confusion or apprehension in the future.
If you notice that there are certain employees who aren’t contributing much, then address their behavior when everyone is present because it’s important to have a united front. Keep in mind that when you’re trying to correct someone’s poor performance, always be respectful and professional. Refrain from being passive-aggressive or mean-spirited.
By discussing how the team feels about working together, you can get an idea of what works and what doesn’t. Sometimes, egos come into play so it’s important to have a good moderator in order to prevent any debates from escalating into conflicts. You can also use this meeting to figure out anything that’s keeping your employees from working together. After you’ve figured out what’s causing any problems, it might be time to hold another meeting to discuss how the team plans on resolving them.
By creating an environment where everyone is heard, you’ll start seeing more productivity and creativity come from your employees. Also, you’ll be helping your team function more like a well-oiled machine instead of a group of individuals who don’t know how to work with one another.
Set goals for your team
It’s easy to keep your team motivated and working hard when you can see that they’re making progress. Give your employees a sense of purpose by creating realistic goals for them.
If you want things to start running more efficiently, then it’s important that your employees have a clear picture of what needs to happen. Go over the short-term and long-term goals with them so that they know where everything stands. The last thing you need is for your team to run off in multiple directions because no one really knows what they’re supposed to be doing.
While goals should be specific, make sure they are attainable. You don’t want your employees to get frustrated because they aren’t able to accomplish something that was basically impossible from the start. It’s best if you set smaller goals and then work your way up. That way, people will feel like they’ve accomplished something and it will motivate them to keep going.
Encourage communication
As the manager, it’s your job to make sure that all members of your team are always communicating with each other. It’s important that your team members feel like they can talk to you about anything–and this includes the people they work with. Open a dialogue between everyone so that there is no resentment or confusion going on behind closed doors.
In order for your employees to feel comfortable communicating with you, you have to be willing to communicate with them as well. If they have a problem or concern, then it’s important for them to be able to talk about it without fear of being ridiculed or punished. Encourage everyone on the team to discuss what is going on and how they feel about it.
If you notice that there are members of your team who are reluctant to speak up, then make sure you give extra attention to them. Go over how they’d like to be approached and what kinds of things would make them feel more comfortable if someone speaks directly to them.
Reward employees
One of the biggest problems with working on a team is that some people do all of the work while some people sit around and watch. You’ll notice this phenomenon more often than not so it’s important to find ways to keep everyone feeling equally involved.
It may seem a bit counterintuitive, but it’s always better to reward your employees for doing well instead of punishing them when they make mistakes. While you’ll need to discipline your team if their performance is lacking, you should also use this time to let them know what they did do right and how they can continue making good choices in the future.
If your employees are starting to make mistakes or they don’t seem as excited about the work at hand, then it might be time to hold another meeting. Allow everyone on the team to offer their input and build upon what you’ve already started doing. If they see that you don’t mind taking other people’s opinions into consideration, then they should be more willing to share their own information and ideas.
Conduct performance reviews
The biggest mistake you can make is assuming that everyone on your team knows what they’re doing and they’re all moving in the same direction. You should walk around and observe everything they do, listen to their conversations and find out if there are any problems or concerns they want to bring up with you.
At some point during the year, you’ll need to sit down with your team and conduct performance reviews. This is a great opportunity for everyone involved to go over where they’re excelling and where they still might need a little bit of work.
While most people don’t particularly enjoy these types of meetings, it’s important that you try to make them as positive as possible. You want your employees to look forward to the next year and aim higher than they did before–not dread these meetings because they make everyone feel uncomfortable.
This doesn’t have to be something formal. In fact, some people will be more comfortable doing this over email or at a coffee shop. Just make sure you get everyone together, talk about what they’ve done well, and go over any areas where improvement is needed.
Be open about any projects that aren’t going well
You may be tempted to conceal issues or concerns from your team, but this is never a good idea. If there’s something going wrong with a project and you don’t mention it, then everyone will assume that everything is fine and they won’t know how to help out.
Your employees will respect it if they see that you’re willing to share your struggles with them. You don’t need to go into great detail about every single thing that’s going on, but there are times when you might want some help figuring out how to get back on track.
When you first meet with your team, it’s important that you don’t only focus on the positives. It’s okay to talk about projects that aren’t going well and how they can be turned around. If anyone offers any advice or suggestions, then carefully consider what was said before moving forward.
Conclusion
Your team is the backbone of your business. If you want to make sure they’re happy and productive, it’s important that you take care of them.
Employees who feel valued and included are more likely to stay with your company for longer periods of time. Some companies offer annual performance reviews, quarterly team meetings, or even regular one-on-one check-ins depending on their size and needs. You could also start by brainstorming ideas about how you can provide recognition for employees doing well so they know they’re being noticed! But remember that communication should be constant – it doesn’t matter if everyone isn’t in the same room all day long as long as there’s an open dialogue between each member of the team. And finally, don’t forget to review any project that isn’t going well together – this way no mistakes will go unnoticed and you can all move forward together.
Developing a team is an ongoing process, and it doesn’t stop after the first meeting. But if you do these things consistently, your staff will be more successful and engaged with their work. Do you have any questions about how to grow and develop your team? Contact us at Top Tier Coaching Services!
