Teamwork: Building your STAR Team
Building a team that is passionate about your business, is proud to work for you, and shares your core values is absolutely integral to your success, and as a leader, it is your responsibility to create an environment in which such a team can be built.
Ricky Williams, a retired American football player said of teamwork ‘A team takes on the personality of the head coach’, and whilst this is true of American football, it is also a pertinent observation that business owners need to take note of.
Your actions as a leader will determine the actions of the team around you, and building the perfect team requires you to live and breathe the values that you want your team to display as representatives of your business.
BUILDING YOUR S.T.A.R TEAM
Whilst these values will be different for every business, the S.T.A.R framework below can be used in any business to ensure that the key elements of a solid foundation from which to build the perfect team are not overlooked.
S – Share
Many business owners still follow the ‘my way or the highway’ mantra, but this is not conducive to building a team who will be passionate about the success of your business. Share ideas, make them aware of some of the challenges you are facing, and encourage your team to come to you with solutions not just problems. This way, each team member has a personal interest in the success of the business, because they feel part of it.
T – Trust
You picked your team members for a reason. It may have been because of a particular skill they have, or their large book of contacts, but regardless of the reason, you have to trust them to do the job that you have asked them to do. Give your team more responsibility, allow them to make autonomous decisions, and unless they give you a reason not to, trust that they have your businesses best interests at heart.
A– Appreciate
Now that your team is sharing ideas, collaborating effectively, and you have given them some freedom to make autonomous decisions within their role, you need to ensure their efforts are noticed. All too often, business owners take their teams for granted, believing that their salary is appreciation enough for a job well done. It’s not. A genuine ‘well done’ or ‘thank you’ costs nothing, but is often exactly what your team is looking for.
R – Reward
Building the perfect team for your business is not only rewarding for you, but is also rewarding for the team members themselves. An engaged team is a happy team, and once your perfect team has taken shape, it’s important to reward them for their efforts. A well thought out reward is often better than a bonus paid at the touch of a button. Reward each team member individually, with something personal; theatre tickets, or an early finish to pick their children up from school. A little thought here will go a long way.
To find out more about how to build the perfect team for your business, take a look at our website, take our free SPA business assessment, or give us a call on 0203 384 0276.
Written by Daryl Woodhouse, CEO for Advantage Business Partnerships Ltd
