An effective team is the basis of a successful business
Work takes up almost half of the time in most people’s lives. And the owners of the business, who manage all the processes themselves, give it almost 100% of their resources. But even the full dedication and involvement of the manager does not guarantee business success and prosperity — it depends much more on the correct team building, the competent choice of employees, well-established communication processes and relationships in the company.
If your goal is to have a successful operating business that brings you income, you should first of all think about building a strong and effective team of employees.
Roles played by your employees
The dream of any leader is adequate employees who are able to responsibly approach the performance of their duties and maintain healthy relationships with others. They are a minority.
Another type is much more common — these people seem to go to work, but they can not be called either valuable, useful, or effective workers. They sabotage the work schedule more often than others, are late, argue, take offense, provoke conflicts and bring chaos to the work of the team. And unfortunately, they are the average employees that managers have to deal with. The behavior of such employees fits into two standard roles — “Victim” and “Durik”.
«Victim» always finds excuses for his failures in the outside world. It can be recognized by the standard phrases-excuses:
- “I don’t even have time to go to lunch!”
- “You know, there are such circumstances…”
- “I was informed too late…”
- “I need to rest sometime!”
The appearance and facial expression of the victim emphasizes her supposedly oppressed position, eternal misfortune, discontent with others and self-pity.
Durik — not necessarily stupid really. This role allows a person to avoid responsibility, to shift his problem onto the shoulders of other people. For any question, such an employee has replicas prepared:
- “What about me?”
- “But you didn’t tell me!”
- “But I didn’t know!”
It is almost impossible to talk with Victims and Fools from an adequate position of people who respect each other. Allowing them to stay in these roles and say their catchphrases will always be ineffective as a leader.
Lack of experience in team management leads to common mistakes. In the fight against those who like to play the victim or go into unconsciousness, leaders, due to their personal characteristics, follow familiar ways of solving problems with employees:
- insist on strict adherence to work regulations;
- raise their voice, behave aggressively;
- they try to get through, have long psychotherapeutic conversations and let the employee sit on their necks.
None of these strategies work because you are addressing a person who is in a role that is convenient for him, with which he is not going to part.
How to build and format employees without confrontation
Fortunately for many businessmen and managers, the problem of staffing and building a harmonious and efficient work team can be solved.
To do this, you need to start with yourself and reconsider your leadership style, develop a special approach to managing employees. It can be called paternal — the leader acts as a wise, attentive, fair, but strict father.
A vivid example of this approach can be found in the movie «The Godfather» — Don Corleone demonstrates an almost paternal attitude towards his close ones and at the same time remains an unquestioned authority.
1. Offer your employees simple and understandable rules of interaction that will work in both directions.
“I invite you to be on the same team with me:
- We have a common goal — an efficient business, high income
- We are our own: trust and common sense
- I’m honest with you, you’re honest with me — you don’t play roles
- And if anything, I’ll warn you…”
The basis of such relations is mutual respect, trust and recognition of their duties. People who are not able to maintain such relationships will be eliminated immediately and will not waste your time and resources.
2. Identify phrases from the Victim’s and Durik’s vocabulary that you don’t want to hear in your work communication.
“We don’t talk like that. Yes?»
- Why me?
- That’s all of them!
- What could I do?
- I only left for a minute!
- I called, they don’t answer!
- They already got me
- Well, I do not know…»
By eliminating and banning phrases of this kind, you can prevent employees from trying to seize convenient roles again and relieve themselves of responsibility for completing tasks. Stop any attempt by an employee to turn into a Victim or a Fool — “That’s not how we talk. Yes?».
3. Stay connected with your employees.
«How can I help you?»
- What is the problem, what is the task?
- Your solutions…(at least 3)
- What you need from me?
- What will you take on?”
Helping your subordinate does not mean doing everything for him. This means showing him the most effective way to solve his problem. Do not suggest options — but ask what exactly the employee offers. And remember that answers like “Well, I don’t know…” are not accepted. A responsible and competent employee must himself offer at least three options for solving the problem. Your task, as a leader, is to focus his attention on the optimal path, to show with your finger the right direction of action.
Aerobatics — if you can not only help a subordinate, but also give him another new task.
4. Set a clear format for relationships in the team.
- We arrive without delay. We do everything on time.
- We don’t criticize. We don’t mind.
- Collection and smile.
- We are short and to the point. Feelings are removed.
- Durik and Victim are not ours.
- Instead of complaints — a prepared question.
Such simple and clear rules will help you, as a leader, control employees and avoid confrontation — people who do not agree with your rules are unlikely to stay in the team for a long time.
Do not forget that it is you, the leader, the leader, who sets an example of how to behave.
Always have a plan B
A shrewd and experienced leader knows that it is not always possible to build a strong team across the entire company.
Does this mean the business is doomed? — Of course not.
Sometimes it is enough to work on rallying the circle of employees closest to the head — people who make decisions, control the quality of the work of the entire team, and set the vector for the company’s development. The unity of purpose and the principles of work that unite you are a stable foundation on which you can build any successful business.
The next circle of company employees — managers and performers — are not always ready to obey the rules of conduct developed by you. Building a strong team with people who are not ready to be like-minded with you is not cost-effective. Remember that people working for you may pursue personal goals, sometimes running counter to the overall direction of the company. Conflicts in such an environment are inevitable and should not be feared. Here you can apply the standard methods of influence worked out for decades — penalties, fines, dismissal.