How do you find the right team? Too often I hear business owners say ‘I can’t get good people’ or ‘why can’t I get my people to do as I tell them’. Well here are a few ideas that may make life a lot easier.
Consider for a moment, the business owner who has 10 people working in the business, yet the owner is doing all the work. What’s the point?
First, get the basics in place. Most people in business understand how important systems are to running a business smoothly (and profitably). With systems and processes in place, it’s simply a matter of employing people to run those systems. Michael Gerber’s book, The E-Myth, highlights how critically important systems are for business success. One of the best examples of course is McDonalds. With a food product that at best could only be described as average, McDonald’s systems make it a highly successful entity.
The point is, if you feel like you’re banging your head against a wall, take a look at the systems in your business. Look at the most basic things from answering the phone all the way through to how you produce your product or service. If your systems aren’t clearly defined, documented and easy to understand, how can you deliver consistently to your customers? To create the best systems, write them down, or capture them in videos or photos, or turn them into checklists. Systems and processes are the basic foundation of business — and are critical to getting your people to work as a team.
With the systems built and clearly defined, now it’s a matter of recruiting the right people to run those systems. The DISC working personality profile can help in selecting the right people for the job, and crafting job descriptions and ads that will attract the right people. With this knowledge and a formal recruiting process, you can then recruit the right people for the job. However, it’s not just a matter of having people who come in, follow the system and get the job done. What you are looking for now is SYNERGY!
Synergy comes from a team commitment to a ‘common goal’. If you involve your people in setting the ‘common goal’, they are generally more likely to take ownership and give you their best. If you, as the business owner are dictating the goals to your team, don’t expect much commitment. If your team has ownership, they are much more likely to achieve the goals.
Keep asking your team this question…’I’m looking for [certain outcome], how do you think we should go about achieving that?’ The successful business owner has team members that say ‘I think we should do this’. An unsuccessful business owner has team members that say ‘I don’t know, you’re the boss’.
Finally, be aware of what you are teaching your team. For example, if every time they come to you with a problem, you just give them the answer, guess what they learn? They don’t have to think, you will do all of that, and if the solution doesn’t work, it’s your fault. Instead of giving them the answer, ask them what their solution is? Guide them through the decision-making process so they learn how you think through problems. After a while they’ll stop coming to you, and will be fully invested in their solutions, which means they’ll be much more likely to make sure the solutions work.
Try building a team that works with you and the culture of the company. The more cohesive the employee relationships are the more you will get out of your team. Try these few things out and see what a difference it has on your bottom line.
Feel free to get in touch with me for more help with finding and motivating the right people for your team.
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