It’s understandable that you, the business owner, doesn’t always have time to make sure that the team is fully aligned with them. If you’re launching a project, organizing an event, or working on a potential partnership, the engagement and the beliefs of your team might not seem as important. But a team that is behind the company is one that’s less likely to leave, more likely to think creatively about their job, and more likely to put in that extra effort. How do you get them on-side?
Know who you want and what you want from them
First, you have to thoroughly understand the kind of people you need on your team. Does your workplace involve heavy cooperation at all times or is it all about self-sufficiency? Could you do with a competitive streak or an ethos of collective responsibility? Finding out what you want from your team members and communicating it to them is essential. Otherwise, you will never get that connect your business needs.
Communicate and contextualize
Talking to them about their goals, your needs from them, and how they might better reach them is just the start. Better businesses go further by incorporating that individual need with the greater focus on the needs of the whole team. Project management software from Zoho is a good example of a way to give people the greater context their work effects. It’s a good idea to have some constant reminder of the overarching goals of the business, as well. It takes people out of their own individual worlds and puts them in the mindset that they’re part of a team reaching for something greater. At the same time, it shows them the importance of their goals towards that broader goal.
Give them a place of their own
The blending between the communal and the individual is the most important part of getting them onside. That goes for the workplace, too. Allowing your individual employees some freedom to personalize their workspace is great for morale. It gives them a place they can truly feel like they belong. It helps you break the ice with them, too. If they’re able to put little bits of their personality on display, it can give you something to start talking with them about when you’re not too busy. A kids’ drawing or a sports bobblehead can both serve as jumping off points for a conversation that builds some necessary camaraderie.
Let them brand their stuff
The connection goes both ways, too. As well as showing them that their place is with the company, you can show that the company’s place is with them. Give them branded pens and mugs from the office. Print your logo with Blue Bee Printing Stickers and let them take the brand home and stick it to laptops, bags, or whatever else they desire. To a lot of people, their job and their vocation make up an important part of their identity. Let them show it off and be proud to have them wearing the business’s name.
Show them some value
The best connections are more than skin-deep, of course, so you have to go more than skin-deep with them. People need to know they are valued and appreciated more than anything. Some ways of doing this, like assigning them with KPIs and helping them achieve them gives them real pride in their work. Public praise can foster a positive community. But even a simple thank you during a conversation can touch people and let it be known that their efforts are being seen and appreciated. That lack of recognition is one of the greatest reasons for dissatisfaction in the modern workplace.
A balance between the appreciation of their practical needs and an emotional focus on the togetherness of the group is the balance you need to meet. The tips above should help you create that strong company culture that makes a team much more than just a collection of employees.