“It takes a village” certainly applies to running a successful business. The early days of your company may have just been you spinning all the plates, but to enjoy sustained growth you now have to build a team that’s as enthusiastic as you are.
In other words, your business will be better equipped to thrive when you’ve got the buy-in from your people. You don’t want them to just view their job as clocking in and clocking out; you want them to feel part of something bigger. Exceptional communication goes a long way to cultivating that feeling.
Make sure everyone’s on the same page.
First things first, every member of your team needs to be crystal clear on your business’s goals. Regular check-ins are a great way to make sure everyone’s aware and aligned.
In our own office, we have a quick huddle with our team each morning to hear everyone’s objectives for the day.
It’s a chance to:
- Remind everyone of the goals we’re collectively trying to achieve.
- Clarify the strategy to get there.
- Ensure everyone knows how they play their part in those goals.
- Help remote teammates feel connected.
- Make sure everyone knows the type of clients we want to work with.
- Boost motivation.
We’ve also found these daily check-ins encourage collaborative problem-solving. Team members will use the meeting to ask for help if stuck on a particular problem, with others chipping in with solutions.
It brings the team together and helps them see the wider context of what they’re doing. It’s a win-win.
Break down your business goals.
It’s important to have your monthly and yearly targets, but make sure you’re also breaking them down into more granular, achievable goals.
Set clear weekly and daily KPIs to ensure a solid plan at the start of each week or day. You’ll have a clear picture of the outcome you’re working towards, making it less likely you’ll be diverted off-course.
All of these smaller goals will contribute to your major, longer-term goals. When you have quarterly financial updates to discuss the wider targets, always bring it back to how the efforts of team members are moving the business closer to that.
Written communication is still important.
We’re not saying you have to spend hours typing up meeting notes, but sending written updates to your team guarantees 100% coverage with communication.
- If you relay an important update in a company-wide meeting, back it up by also sending it in an email. Some team members might be on holiday, some might not have been listening, and you’ll soon lose track of who knows what.
- Aside from key updates, make it the norm to send a round-robin company update every two months. Let your team know what’s going on in the firm, what’s coming up and how these things move the company towards its goals so everyone’s on the same page.
Remember: don’t assume that people already know things. If you’ve been operating your business for a number of years, it can be easy to forget what a new start might not already know about the company. It’s better to repeat yourself than leave out key information!
Let your team know how they’ll grow with you.
Achieving your company’s goals will be great for you and the future of your business, but your employees want to know how it will affect them on an individual basis. How will your company’s advancement ultimately impact their lives?
Make sure your team knows what opportunities will be unlocked by hitting company targets. Whether it’s support with qualifications or moving up into more senior roles, remind them how success will directly benefit them.
We’re here to help you develop an unwaveringly passionate team.
Having spent years working closely with established business owners, we’ve seen the difference it makes when employers dedicate time to creating a great team culture.
At One Accounting, we put financial systems in place that let you spend less time working in your business and more time working on it. You’ll have more time to prioritise outstanding communication with your team and hone in on your goals. Get in touch and let’s get started.
