News: November 2011

Build a winning team

To build a business and steer it towards success, you need a strong team behind you. Here are the steps to building a good management team in your business:

• Assess where you are today – Before you can plan where you want to go with your team, you need to work out where you currently are. Make a realistic assessment of your team – what kind of staff do you currently have?, what are their strengths and weaknesses and the areas you need to build on?
• Failure to plan is a plan for failure – Planning is essential for any business and if you want to build a winning team, you need to plan each step of the process – from where you are today to where you want to be in 3 or 4 years. For any team to succeed as a whole unit, you need a strategic plan in place. Pick and choose your team members and then get them together for a planning meeting and encourage all team members to contribute their ideas.
• Define Team Members’ Roles – It’s imperative that you have a clear idea of your own role in the team – either as team leader, coordinator or motivator. Just as you should be clear about your role, your team members should be clear on their respective roles. Involve your team in this process.
• Identify Goals – Team members who are aware that their performance will not go unnoticed feel motivated to go the extra mile. Therefore it is important to develop and implement a performance measurement and reward system to support your team’s plans. This kind of system also helps you to map out the progress towards achievement of goals and targets.
• Don’t Manage Your Team, Be Their Coach – Your management team doesn’t need to be micro managed. Instead you should aim to coach your team. Be their mentor and provide regular guidance and on the job training. By ensuring that your team are trained and updated on the latest trends, issues and challenges in the market, your business will achieve its goals.