by Asa Beavers
Ever wonder why you can't get good people or why your staff doesn't do as you tell them? It's time to stop thinking like that and take action to get them working like a team.
Action 1 Think McDonalds - whenever, wherever - you get the same experience. It's the systems that make the business run smoothly. From how the phone is answered to how you produce your product - develop and implement systems in your business. Write them down. Turn them into checklists. If your systems aren't clearly defined and easy to understand, how can anyone understand what you want.
Action 2 Get your team involved and set a common goal. If you are dictating your goal to the team, don't expect much commitment. If your team helps establish the goal, they will have ownership and will be much more likely to perform.
Action 3 Ask the team. Instead of telling the team how to do something, provide them the expectations and ask them for ideas. You can say: "I am looking for (expected outcome), how do you think we should go about achieving that?" Successful business owners have team members who say "I think we should do like this." Challenged business owners have team members who say, "I don't know, you're the boss." Which kind of business owner are you?
Action 4 Be aware of what you are teaching your team. If a baby cries and mom comes running, what will the baby learn to do after a while? Exactly. Be aware of what you are teaching your team. If you're saying to yourself 'no one can do it like me' and you jump in and do it, your team is learning from that.
About the Author
Asa Beavers is a small business coach and consultant. He shares tips, techniques and strategies with smalll business owners to boost clarity and focus, create strategic action plans, and increase sales and profits. Visit his website at www.redlinebsg.com, email Asa at asa@redlinebsg.com, or call 919-367-0790.