Why Your Team Could Make The Difference Between Success and Failure

It’s no secret that 9 out of 10 new businesses fail. There are all kinds of reasons why it’s so difficult for startups to survive, and a lack of cohesion is one of the major contributors.

If you’ve got a great team, you stand a much better chance of making your venture work. If you’re looking to hire new staff or you’re trying to promote collaboration and cooperation in the workplace, here are some of the reasons why teamwork is so important and some tips to get everyone pulling in the same direction.

The importance of teamwork

Shared goals

One of the most important reasons to promote teamwork in your business is the accomplishment of shared goals and objectives. If you’ve got some people who feel left out or some that feel like others get more praise, you’re going to struggle to ensure that everyone is on the same page.

By setting clear objectives and getting every member of the group involved, you’re going to hit those targets faster and ensure that each individual has an interest in getting to that milestone.

If you’ve got a target, for example, a deadline for a project, you’ll stand a much better chance of completing it on time if you’ve got an entire team behind you, rather than a few people.

Improved efficiency

Consider how fast you can get a task done when there’s a group working on it cohesively compared to trying to do a job on your own. They say that teamwork makes the dream work, and if you’ve got every cog moving, this notion should be proven right.

Delegating tasks, setting deadlines and monitoring progress will help your team achieve goals without delays or hiccups along the way. If you can improve efficiency, this won’t just impress your clients. It will also save you time and money.

A positive working environment

Nobody wants to go to work and be greeted with a frosty atmosphere. You don’t want to sit at your desk all day feeling awkward about talking to a colleague or spend the morning dreading your afternoon meeting.

If you work well within a team and the team is strong, this is going to create a much more positive working environment where people feel able to speak up and share ideas, and everyone gets on well. You don’t have to be best buddies with your colleagues, but it helps if you get along.

Identifying strengths and weaknesses

The beauty of teamwork is that it compensates for weaknesses and highlights strengths. If you’ve got a group of people, you’re bound to find that each person has strengths and weaknesses and you can adapt the way you approach individual projects to achieve the best outcome every time.

If you’ve got somebody who is a brilliant leader and communicator, you can put them in charge of managing the project while people who are skilled in sales and pitching can get out there and close deals.

Providing support

We all have times at work when we need advice or reassurance. If you’re part of a team that is working together, this should give you peace of mind that you can ask for help or seek advice if you’re unsure or you’re struggling.

Team members support and encourage each other, and this can help to strengthen working relationships and improve the chances of a successful outcome.

Building a strong team

If you’re recruiting for a new business, or you’re hoping to build relationships and promote collaborative working at your company, here are some tips that may prove useful.

Recruiting the right people

Recruitment is incredibly important for any business. When you’re searching for new members of staff, don’t focus solely on qualifications and exam grades. If you’ve got an ethos and your day to day work involves being part of a team, you need to look for candidates who fit the mould and those who are happy to work with others.

Shortlist candidates who have the relevant skills and experience, and then use the interview process to get to know the applicants and to gauge how well they fit in with your vision.

Look for personality, enthusiasm and passion, as well as skills and capability and set tasks that are relevant to the job description. If you’re recruiting for a sales team, for example, it would be useful to see how that candidate approaches a pitch.

Organizing your team

Organization is key to any business. If people don’t know what they’re doing, what shifts they’re working or when deadlines are, this is going to have a negative impact on efficiency, and it may also affect the service you provide.

Be clear on goals, make sure every person knows exactly what jobs they’re undertaking and have a clear scheduling system in place. If you run a restaurant, for example, the last thing you want is your employees not turning up for shifts or finding that your entire team is working at the same time because you’re using outdated, confused techniques.

Use a team scheduler app to organize your rotas and arrange regular meetings to check up on how your team is getting on. A lack of clarity can be disastrous, no matter whether you manage a bar or an office full of people.

Encouraging cohesion

Cohesion is instrumental in achieving the desired result in any kind of business. If your employees can work together harmoniously, this creates the right atmosphere, as well as improving efficiency and increasing the chances of hitting targets.

It can be difficult to bring a group of individuals together, but there are lots of techniques you can use to try and strengthen ties and facilitate collaborative working. Bonding activities are a popular choice for business owners.

This may involve having a weekend away or spending a day out in a field trying to cross ponds with rafts or scale walls that are too high to climb. Alternatively, you may adopt a more relaxed approach and plan an outing such as a meal out or drinks after work on a Friday.

These are excellent options for getting to know people if the business is relatively new or encouraging new starters to feel like part of the team. It’s also useful to accommodate group work by making time in the day for people to get together and providing spaces for this kind of activity.

If you’ve got an office full of people trying to concentrate, you don’t want one person shouting across the room to another. Setting aside a meeting room or installing a communal area to grab a drink and go over some new figures can help.

If you’re working on a project, it’s incredibly beneficial to arrange regular meetings to see how everyone is getting on and check that you’re on the right track. It’s also helpful to provide a platform for your employees to speak.

Sometimes, in a group, you’ll have people who love to stand up and share their ideas, but there will also be a few who are reticent to get involved. As a manager, it’s important to encourage those who want to participate to step up. Every member should feel able to voice their opinions.
Dealing with conflict

Conflict of any kind can knock you off kilter and kill the positive vibe. As a leader, this is probably one of the aspects of running a business you fear most. Nobody likes to get involved in conflict or find themselves caught up in office politics or unwanted arguments.

If you sense that the atmosphere has changed or you get wind of unrest from other members of the team, try and nip any problems in the bud. If disagreements are left to fester, this can affect the entire group.

Ask those involved to meet with you and air what’s going on. Talk about any problems that have cropped up and try and find solutions. You don’t have to act as a counselor or ensure that two people become best friends, but if you can improve the situation and ensure that any issues are cleared up, this will benefit everyone.

Celebrating together

If you have a team of people working hard to achieve a goal, giving those people something to look forward to will encourage them to continue putting in 100% and help them to maintain focus.

If you hit that target as a team, it makes sense to celebrate as a team. If you’ve won an award or you’ve reached a deadline, do something to recognize the achievement. Go for a celebratory meal, host a party or ask everyone to bring some food in, finish early and enjoy the afternoon together.
Whether you have a new business or an established company, you should never underestimate the importance of having a strong team around you. A cohesive team can make all the difference when the line between success and failure is so fine.

Teamwork improves efficiency, and it helps you hit targets. It also ensures a positive vibe in the workplace and encourages employees to pull together and support each other. If you’ve got a new team or new starters, get everyone together on a regular basis, create spaces for group activities and prioritize organization.

 

Can Your Business Pass The 3Ps Test?

 

Have you always aspired to become a successful entrepreneur and grow your business to international levels? It all starts with an idea and for you to realize the dream, you must do things right.

Good market research, professionalism, and proper procedures are major determinants of any business success or failure. Have you started a business and its stagnating or falling down? Maybe you have not adhered to these 3Ps which form the backbone of any business thus, determining whether it is viable or not.

In the business world, the 3Ps stands for People, Product, and Process. They are key elements that give any business a competitive edge making it stand-out from the rest. Therefore, this article aims to enlighten entrepreneurs about the meaning of 3ps and their significance.

1. People

Despite the continuous process of business automation, there is no single time that business can operate without human beings. Your employees are important components of your business success.

Therefore, for every successful business, there must be skilled, motivated and passionate employees behind.

But the hard question that you must ask yourself is that; do you have the right people in your business?

This is a crucial aspect that every entrepreneur must adhere to because skilled people are likely to deliver good results when placed in the right departments whose responsibilities match their skills.

Read Also: 5 Deadly Mistakes That Every Startup Entrepreneur Must Know

Ensure that you have hired only skilled people who possess the right skills for the job from the beginning. Hiring the right people for the job will guarantee smooth running of the business.

It is also advisable that you should develop a performance evaluation technique so as to gauge employees’ productivity and efficiency.

As an employer, you will also find out the challenges that your employees are facing and come up with appropriate measures so as to create  a conducive working environment. When you discover employees’ potential, you will also feel motivated to offer them more and better training so that they can deliver to their level best.

2. Product

What product/service are you offering in the market? Is there any market gap that you are trying to fill?  Such questions are essential in determining whether your business idea is viable or not. You must ensure that your product or service is meeting a particular need in the market.

Ensure that you have already identified the need of your target audience and then create a product/service that is able to create a solution to that need.

It’s also necessary to make your product unique so as to distinguish yourself from the other competitors. Always assess your point of difference because this is what will give your business a competitive edge in the market.

Consider offering unique packaging styles, competitive pricing and quality products. When you identify the customer needs, you are likely to offer customized products that will fit every market segment.

You can set your products or services in a unique manner by either packaging in different sizes, colors, flavors or even re-branding so that customers can easily identify your products/services.

3. Process

Process refers to clear guideline or systems that stipulate the right procedures and process in order to create efficiency.

If the systems are not set right, the work environment  becomes stressful and employees are not motivated to work under such conditions which eventually leads to low productivity.

It is advisable that you establish clear procedures and processes in your business so as to ensure smooth operations along the supply chain.

When processes are set right, there is less duplication of duties, conflicts, and multiple commands because the business entity is run as per the established business/organization structure.

Read Also:  5 Winning Tips on How to Offer Effective Customer Care Services for Your Business Growth

Creating various departments in your business can help in improving efficiency. It allows easy job delegation as well as job supervision because you will have departmental heads that will be answerable in case of any concern.

 

Tips on How To Increase Employee’s Productivity

 

 

Employees are the most valuable assets in our businesses. Without employees, the company or organization cannot run, and every organization must value its employees so as to achieve its long-term objectives.

 

Have you hired the best and qualified employees in your firm but the productivity is still too low and below the bar? Then, something is not right.

 

A workplace is not just a place where individuals meet and be there for a few hours and then get paid at the end of the month! Today, in order to survive in business, improved productivity is vital. Employees’ productivity in any business set up can be evaluated by the amount of work completed which also should determine the compensation package.

 

But what are the factors that lead to low productivity and performance among employees? Are they operating in a very harsh environment or have you given them too much freedom as an employer?

This article will help you understand what you need to do right. Remember that the level of employees’ productivity is the heart that determines the profitability of your business and its competitive advantage.

 

1. Provide your employees with modern time-saving devices

Whether you are operating a small or a big enterprise, ensure that you have adopted the latest technology. When you give your employees modern devices, they are likely to produce more and save time.

Avoid using outdated machines as they operate long hours and there is no efficiency. Modern devices that you can improvise to improve employees’ productivity and performance are digital smartphones and tablets, Laptops, latest applications and software’s and Wi-Fi.

 

2. Take your employees to activation programs so that they can gain more exposure

Organizing for training seminars for your employees will help them improve their skills. The activation training programs will challenge the employees and help them learn and exchange ideas in their respective fields.

By so doing, employees learn on how to perform their duties with diligent. Thus, they will increase productivity which will have positive impacts on the profit margins.

Read Also: 5 Tips on How to Grow your Business Startup

 

3. Inculcate the spirit of teamwork among employees

Always ensure that employees are engaged to work as a team, and they are all inspired to work towards achieving a common objective.

Ensure that there is interdependency among different departments in your organization so that everyone can appreciate the role each department plays towards achieving the set goals.

Teamwork will also help employees to learn, inspire and recognize the commitment of every person in the organization.

 

4. Always set reasonable and achievable targets 

When delegating duties to your employees, ensure that you have set realistic target and goals that always inspires employees to work hard.

Setting clear attainable goals is very necessary as it ensures that every worker is aware of his/her duties and responsibility. Therefore, everyone will feel motivated to work towards fulfilling the set targets because every employee is accountable for his/her goals and duties.

It reduces the time wasted trying to organize employees and allocating them unfamiliar tasks which reduce efficiency.

 

5. Always reward and recognize best performance

Endeavor to award credit where it is due. Employees feel motivated when they are recognized and awarded by their employer when they perform to their best.

Rewarding hardworking employees help in boosting their personal esteem, and they feel inspired even to achieve more.

As an employer, you should as well encourage your employees to be more innovative so as to bring new ideas that can increase the productivity.

6. Cater for your employees’ welfare

Don’t just make rules and procedures to be followed and then lock yourself in the office. As an employer, always ensure that you have established a personal touch with your employees.

Give them an assurance that you value their welfare and they will feel appreciated. If possible, treat your employees as business partners and value their human nature.

When you show them love and care, you create a conducive environment for them to unleash their potential and give your company the best in terms of productivity.

If possible, treat your employees as business partners and value their human nature. When you show them love and care, you create a conducive environment for them to unleash their potential and give your company the best in terms of productivity.