The Secret to a Successful Team
It's been said that to create an effective team of sales people is like trying to herd cats, but it can be done.
Regardless of the culture, size, industry sector or office environment, one of the biggest battles facing managers today is the creation of an effective team ethos. This is especially true when trying to engender a team spirit with employees, such as sales people who are individually targeted and rewarded for their achievements.
Even away from the sales floor, it is individuals and not teams who are appraised, set KPIs and promoted, so should we really be surprised when SMEs and FTSE100 Companies regularly find building a team working environment such a problem?
Taking the team on to a windswept Dartmoor one Friday to build rafts and make camp fires can be effective, but it will not work every week.
Below are a few ideas that you may find beneficial if this is a challenge you need to address. As simple as some of the suggestions sound, they can work quickly and have an immediate impact.
How to Build an Effective Team
Empower Individuals
Giving team members real responsibility and decision-making powers can generate enormous loyalty, as you will be giving them real ownership of the business. This can be reflected in everyday project work, business strategy, employment and customer ownership. This can have a knock-on effect by creating a positive working environment which will encourage the introduction of new members into the team by their own peers.
You may think you do this already, but could you do more? Empowering employees has to be driven by the management at all levels.
Strong Management
A good manager is one that is respected. It is by no means essential to be liked as a manager, but if you hold the team's respect, half the battle will have been won. Strong leadership is important in a manager, but it is worthless without authority. Effective teams need the right balance between empowerment and leadership.
Do you give clear and precise direction? Do your team members understand their roles and know exactly what is expected of them?
Motivation
Just how motivated are your team members? Can you honestly state the motivations of each individual?
A lack of motivation in any member of a team can have a negative effect, reducing the group's effectiveness and possibly leading to the demotivation of others. Given the fact that people are motivated in different ways, the problem facing someone in the role of leader is to create an environment within which each individual fulfils their potential.
As a general rule, the more job satisfaction individuals enjoy, the longer they are likely to remain motivated and drive the team spirit from within.
Back to the Floor
As a manager, it is vital to take a fresh look regularly at the working environment by putting yourself in your team members' shoes. If you've been with the business for a while, there is a fair chance the business and company culture has evolved, especially if you have a high turnover of staff; the company you joined may be a very different business to the one perceived by a new employee.
As a leader, if your team members are able to feel you have true empathy for hurdles they face every day, they will involve you more, thus creating a stronger team environment.
Effective Team Meetings
Do you hold regular team meetings? Are they an effective use of time or do you get the impression the participants are daydreaming or keeping quiet so that the meetings are closed as quickly as possible?
Try varying the date/time and length of meeting. Encourage team members to chair the meetings and make sure they do not follow a regular pattern. The element of surprise can not be underestimated.
Negative Impact
Do not underestimate the power of the negative. If you are not careful it can gnaw its way into a positive team culture, like a cancer. One of the most common dilemas facing managers today, particularly in a sales environment is how to deal with a team member who is behaving negatively, especially if as an individual, they are one of your top performers. The biggest question to answer is, that if that person was no longer in the team, would the rest of the team increase performance to counter any loss?
Despite the short term pain, the long term benefits of a positive environment can not be underestimated, in both efficency, performance and improved staff turnover.
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