8 Steps To Building A Strong And Efficiant Team

NEW EMPLOYEES AND NEW TEAM MEMBERS TEND TO ARRIVE AS RELATIVELY BLANK SLATES—OPEN TO AN ARRAY OF COMPANY CULTURES—BUT THEY WILL QUICKLY START SEEKING CUES FOR HOW TO OPERATE AS A MEMBER OF YOUR COMPANY

T WORK, YOU WANT YOUR EMPLOYEES TO BE PART OF A TEAM, BUT YOU MUST ALSO HAVE PERSPECTIVE: THESE ARE INDIVIDUALS WITH STORIES OF THEIR OWN. 

WHILE IT'S CRITICALLY IMPORTANT THAT YOU VALUE AND HONOR EACH INDIVIDUAL MEMBER OF THE TEAM, IT'S ALSO IMPORTANT THAT THE TEAM MEMBERS THEMSELVES EXHIBIT THAT SAME RESPECT AND CARE TOWARD ONE ANOTHER. 

GREAT LEADERS VALUE THE IMPORTANCE OF EMOTIONAL INTELLIGENCE. IN A NUTSHELL, THIS MEANS THAT THEIR LEADERSHIP STYLE INCLUDES TREATING INDIVIDUALS AS HUMAN BEINGS, NOT LIVING DRONES. GREAT LEADERS UNDERSTAND THAT NOT EVERY PERSON IS MOTIVATED BY THE SAME THING.

GREAT LEADERS ALSO SUBSCRIBE TO THE THEORY THAT "YOU GET MORE FLIES WITH HONEY THAN VINEGAR." IN REAL WORLD TERMS, THIS MEANS THAT IT'S MORE EFFECTIVE TO SHAPE BEHAVIOR WITH POSITIVE REINFORCEMENT RATHER THAN NEGATIVE REINFORCEMENT. 

AS HUMANS, WE ALL LOVE TO KNOW WHERE WE STAND. ARE MY COLLEAGUES HAPPY WITH THE WORK I'M DOING? DO 1 NEED TO IMPROVE ON SOMETHING? ASSUME THAT PEOPLE WANT TO KNOW. IF THEY SENSE YOU'RE UNHAPPY BUT AREN'T SAYING ANYTHING, THAT CAN LEAD UP TO BUILT UP STRESS AND EVEN RESENTMENT, WHICH WILL RESULT IN POOR PERFORMANCE. 

PEOPLE LOVE AFFIRMATION OF THEIR HARD WORK. IF YOU'RE FORTUNATE ENOUGH TO BE ABLE TO GIVE FINANCIAL BONUSES, THIS IS A GREAT WAY TO SHOW APPRECIATION. IF YOU'RE A STARTUP WITH LITTLE CASH ON HAND, THINK OF OTHER WAYS TO SHOW GRATITUDE AND TRUST

WHEN IT COMES TO BUILDING YOUR BUSINESS, YOUR TEAM SHOULD BE AS DIVERSE AS POSSIBLE —DIFFERENT BACKGROUNDS, EXPERIENCES, AGES, AND OPINIONS. HIRE WITH THE GOAL OF COVERING YOUR BLIND SPOTS: SURROUND YOURSELF WITH PEOPLE WHO WILL INFORM THE JUDGMENT CALLS YOU MAKE AND THE CONTENT YOU PUT OUT.