Being The Boss: Creating an Effective Team

Believe it or not, hiring employees to work for your company under the same vision and mission and putting them in close proximity cubes does not constitute effective team building.

Recently I worked with a client whose business was growing to the point where she had to take the big step of hiring employees. It seemed like the perfect solution; hiring employees would free up the business owner to focus on more strategic aspects of the business while the team delivered services.  Unfortunately this was not the case.  Once the team grew the trouble began.  Punctuality issues plagued several team members, interpersonal conflicts developed, gossip and disrespect abound and the level of service provided to customers soon began to suffer.

The business owner was in a panic.  She couldn't understand why the team couldn't get on the same page and why they were experiencing so many issues with one another, with her and most importantly with their customers.  Through several coaching sessions we discovered that there were a few issues, all of which stemmed from an inaccurate assumption that a team would simply form and gel because the group happened to work in the same geographic location.

Think about the most effective team that you have ever been on; perhaps a sports team, a special projects group or even in the military.  What made the team so effective?  Did you start off on day one knowing that your teammates had your back and they had yours?  Probably not.  An effective team takes effort, time and a common purpose, not to mention a strong leader nurturing the process.

Start by asking-what is the common purpose of this team?  Do all of the members of the team know and understand the common purpose and what their contributing roles are to the team?  Are team members communicating with you and with one another in a frank matter?  If not the team is probably not operating on cylinders. 

Take the time to establish the building blocks of common purpose, communication and expectations and watch how other key pieces like trust begin to take shape. 

It's Relationship Building Stupid!

I admit that I stumbled upon value of social media for businesses quite by accident.  I attended a seminar about email marketing and naturally the interconnectedness of email marketing to social media came up.   Sure, I had a personal Facebook page and Twitter account, and (I'm ashamed to admit) a neglected LinkedIn account, but I had yet to unlock the potential that social media offered from a business perspective. 

Upon sharing my excitement with my boss, I was quickly designated the company's "social media" expert.  However, when I actually sat down to start, I was stumped.  What should I tweet and post about?  It seemed to me that the purpose of using social media was to get people to use our services, but how many times could I talk about how great the company was before it became annoying and ineffective?

Those first few weeks were rough.  We got virtually no traction our profiles and I couldn't figure out why.  About that time I attended a marketing seminar to better understand what I was doing wrong.  The answer was as plain as the nose on my face.  "It's relationship building, stupid!" 

Turns out I had been going at it all wrong.  I had entered the social media scene in order to sell something.  When in reality I should have been spending time creating and nurturing online relationships and establishing the company as the expert in its respective field.  From that day forward the purpose of social media changed.  I stopped posting so many testimonials and started posting links to articles containing expert information.  I linked our newsletter to our social media outlets, I sent "how-to's" and surveys.  And most importantly I dedicated the necessary time to engaging other businesses through direct messaging, following, re-tweeting and "liking." 

Remember, social media is electronic word of mouth.  Take the time to establish yourself as the expert and to develop online relationships. 

A Successful Saturday

We all know that 3 of the 4 days of the Thanksgiving weekend aren't really meant to hang out with family and process the gross calorie intake from the holiday dinner. Nope-other than Thursday (and even that is in question for stores like Target and Wal-Mart) the long weekend is one for shopping.

As is tradition, my mom and I participated in the Black Friday frenzy. Each year, it gets crazier, weirder and much less jolly. But there's something to be said for getting deals at 3am.

So after all of the Black Friday shoving, shouting and horror stories, Small Business Saturday was a nice change of pace.

Started 3 years ago by American Express, Small Business Saturday is an opportunity for customers to support small businesses in the community. It is also an opportunity for small businesses to capitalize on one of the busiest shopping weekends of the year.

Thanks to power of social media, this special shopping holiday continues to grow in popularity and in sales! I have to say, grabbing coffee from the corner cafe and shopping at the consignment shop where everyone knows my name is way more fun than Black Friday.

Time to be Thankful

As a brand new business owner I have a whole set of new things to worry about, but I also have a slew of things to be thankful for.  This year I am thankful for...

Despite the  long hours and sporadic pay days that come with being a new business owner;, I appreciate that entrepreneurship and risk taking are valued in our country.  Thus, I am thankful for the opportunity to be pursue my passion and start a business.

I appreciate the support and encouragement of my family.  Without it I would never have had the courage to make the leap.

Other small businesses in the community should be celebrated!  I am thankful for the great retail stores, coffee shops, restaurants, and services in the area.  These are the hang out spots, the people we refer to our friends and the hidden jewels in our neighborhoods.  Thank you for enriching our communities!

And I am thankful for every experience, good and bad, that I have had on this journey.  My road to entrepreneurship has been fraught with challenges, or as I affectionately call them, learning experiences.  And I am grateful for each and everyone.

What are you grateful for this year?

Happy Thanksgiving!

Pathfinder Strategies wants to help YOUR Small Business

At Pathfinder Strategies we aim to nurture and grow small businesses in Southern Arizona.  Our customized solutions include Training & Development paths, technology streamlining paths and digital marketing paths.  Contact brandy@pathfinder-strategies.com to begin YOUR path to success!