I recently had an experience that had me feeling a little bit anxious. I was surprised, because I was doing something I had done plenty of times before. It was a task that consultants get asked to perform quite often but which most dislike with a passion – the dreaded team member review. Call me strange but I actually love this type of task, but I have to say that on this occasion, I had the heebie-jeebies.
Why?
The CEO I was doing this for had seen their business blow up in a monumental way (when I say blow up I mean that in a good way). They were one of the lucky ones to have created a product during lockdown that everybody wanted. A team was hastily pulled together (a quick and I must say amazing reaction to the opportunity that was laid out in front of them), but now, with things on a more stable footing, a few cracks were starting to appear.
With inflation going up, team members were starting to ask for their packages and salary to be reviewed. The CEO drafted me in to oversee the review of all her team members’ roles and responsibilities and to identify any skill gaps.
What transpired was a lack of proper HR process for on-boarding the team and an evident lack of clarity on their roles and responsibilities.
My job was to delve into the workings of this team and have some frank conversations to explain that some of them had effectively been doing the wrong jobs.
You can see why I was uncomfortable with this now, right😏
So, I want to ask you if this reflects in your own business? Have you taken the time to put in the right processes to ensure you’re building the right team? Have you too needed to have these awkward conversations?
If you’ve experiencing this and you need some pointers, read on!
Here are my 5 rules to follow if you’re building a team or revamping your existing one:
- Understand the strengths of each individual.
Recognising each individuals’ strengths is key. If you understand what makes them unique you can enable each team member to perform to their best ability which will benefit your business in the long run.
2. Explain your business vision.
Set the scene for your team members. Help them to understand the goals and values of your business and how they can play a part in delivering them. Describe the type of culture you want to create and make them feel integral to that culture by using ‘we’ instead of ‘I’ when you’re talking about your business.
3. Define roles clearly.
When your new hire starts, make sure they are on-boarded with a clear definition of the tasks they are expected to perform, and how it relates to other team members that are part of the delivery process. Your team member will feel confident, secure and happy knowing what’s expected of them, which is great for productivity!
4. Celebrate and reward the wins.
Simple things such as treating them to snacks and drinks in the office on a Friday afternoon, or a letter box cocktail if they are a remote worker, can all help your team to feel appreciated for the time and effort they’ve put in. Take time to regularly recognise and celebrate teams and individuals to keep people feeling motivated and valued.
5. Identify problems early
Occasionally, you’ll get someone who simply isn’t a good fit for your business. Prevention is better than cure in this instance, so ensuring you have a robust hiring process in place will ensure you get a reliably good fit.
If an existing team member is having problems, try to establish what this is early. Offer support to help them continue to do their job effectively. This might be extra training or resources, or revisit your processes to check they are best matched to deliver on the tasks.
The main take-away from this is…
For a team to be truly effective, its members must come together with the same vision and be motivated to bring that vision to life. They must share clear, measurable goals, and be committed to each play their part in the overall success of the group.
PRO TIP: Employees will need to be set up on a payroll system and have contracted entitlements covered by employment law. If building a team is brand new for you, consider hiring freelancers at first so you can test the processes and functions of your business.
Luckily for the team members I mentioned at the start, it was a happy ending. The fix I implemented was to support them with the training they needed to fulfill their roles, and to put a proper HR process in place that would make sure this situation couldn’t happen again.
I hope you’ve found this blog helpful. I’d love to know in the comments if you’ve experienced something similar. Just hit reply and share your story with me.
If you’d like to guidance on how to build a team, you can reach out to me for a coffee chat any time or purchase my new download, The Ultimate Guide to Delegating which is available to buy now. This is the first place to start if you’re deciding which tasks to outsource.
Good luck!
