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Tag: Team-Building

  • 10 Team-Building Games For The First Day Of School

    10 Team-Building Games For The First Day Of School

    Team-Building Games For The First Day Of School

    by TeachThought Staff

    Team-building activities are great–especially for the first day of school or early in the school year,

    Not only can they help establish routines, tone, and expectations, they’re also fun, and can help learners feel comfortable. Though many older students in high school and college may groan at their thought, they’re usually fun, and great ways to help students feel at ease. Before you dismiss them as too juvenile, try one. You might be surprised.

    Note that which game you choose, your rules for the game, and any revisions to the rules depend on the nature of the class you’re using them with. Certain students may feel overly liberated—especially in middle school—with the idea of a ‘game,’ and so expectations must be carefully given to younger K-8 learners—and even 9-12—to ensure that every student is set up for success.

    10 Team-Building Games For The First Day Of School

    1. Me Too!

    Ideal Grade Levels: K-20

    The first student gives a fact about themselves—I love basketball, I have two sisters, etc. If that statement or fact is true about another student, they stand up and say “Me too!” They can also stay seated, but simply raise their hand and say “Me too!” 

    2. Park Bench

    Ideal Grade Levels: 6-20

    Two chairs are placed together to resemble a park bench. Two students volunteer—or are selected—to act out ‘what happened’ in a fictional news story. They are given one minute to prepare a scene where they discuss the ‘event’ without ever actually saying what happened. After given time period (1-5 minutes), peers guess ‘what happened,’ but they must give up all four important details: Who, What, Where, and When, e.g.:

    What: College Basketball game

    Who: Any two college or professional sports teams

    When: Early April

    Where: New Orleans

    3. Fact or Fiction

    Ideal Grade Levels: 3-12

    In a circle, the first student offers two facts and one piece of fiction about themselves. Others raise their hand or are called on to identify which were facts, and which were fiction. The correct guesser goes next. Play is completed when all students have gone.

    4. Green Door

    Ideal Grade Levels: 5-20

    A leader chooses a topic, but keeps it quiet, only saying that “You can bring a ____ through the green door.” Students are then forced to deduce the topic by asking if other things can be brought through the green door as well, e.g., “Can I bring a _____ through the green door?”

    The leader can only reply yes or no. When a topic is identified, topic resets. Topics can be content-related, such as parts of speech, colors, geometric figures, historical figures, etc.

    5. One Minute Talk

    Ideal Grade Levels: 5-20

    Students are chosen to give 60-second talks on anything, from self-selected topics they are passionate about, have specific expertise in, etc., to topics given from teacher. Classmates can then follow-up with one thing–no matter how innocuous–that they can ‘connect’ to or is somehow related to their life.

    6. Count to Ten

    Ideal Grade Levels: 3-20

    All students stand in a circle. The first student says ‘1,’ or ‘1, 2.’ The next student picks up where that student left off and can say a maximum number of 2 numbers. The movement continues clockwise until it gets to 10, where that student has to sit, and the game starts back over at 1 at the next student.

    Note that there can be no pausing or silent counting—any pauses or indications the student is counting/calculating forces them to sit. Also, pouting or talking during counting results in elimination from future rounds. The big idea is to count strategically so that you can keep from saying ’10.’

    You can read more about How To Play The Count To Ten Team-Building Game.

    7. I Never

    Ideal Grade Levels: K-20

    Students form a circle. The first student says something they’ve never done. Each student that has done the thing the other student has not steps briefly into the center. The game continues until every person has stated something they’ve done.

    8. Magic Ball

    Ideal Grade Levels: K-20

    Students form a circle. The first student is ‘given’ an imaginary magic ball. The student sculpts an imaginary ball into a new shape, handing it to the person to their right. The activity is silent. Any talking/noise results in student sitting. After the game, guessing may be done to predict what ‘sculpture’ was.

    9. Silent Line

    Ideal Grade Levels: K-8

    Students are given criteria, and must silently put themselves in a line as quickly as possible, to meet a goal, compete against other classes, or receive some reward (free reading time, no homework, etc.) The criteria can simple (birthdays), or slightly more complicated (alphabetical order of college or career ambition).

    10. Inside-Outside Circle

    Ideal Grade Levels: 3-20

    Students form a circle within a circle with (ideally) an equal number of students in both circles. Inside circle members pair with outside circle members. Activity leader (usually teacher, but can be a student) presents a topic, prompt, or question.

    Partners share for 10 seconds (or less), the leader asks inside the circle to move clockwise a certain number of spaces to collaborate with new partners directly across from them. This is usually content focuses and helps spur quick discussion on content-related topics, or even current events.

    10 Team-Building Games For The First Day Of School; Source ‘The Advisory Book’ by Linda Crawford

    TeachThought Staff

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  • Plan Your Next Corporate Bonding Session

    Plan Your Next Corporate Bonding Session

    Summer is the perfect time to organize a “Winter Education” for the ultimate corporate team- building experience. Imagine if your yearly company retreat was a camping trip—in subzero temperatures. For one Swedish company, it is. 

    While the prospect of trudging through the snow might not sound like a particularly cozy corporate bonding experience, Stockholm-based Fjällräven, which makes camping equipment and hiking apparel, says it’s a great way to build their employees’ confidence in the outdoors— which also helps them excel at their jobs, and in turn, helps the company grow.

    The weekend is aptly titled “Winter Education,” and it’s exactly what it sounds like. Every winter, the brand sends a few dozen of its Stockholm-based staff members into the forests of inland Sweden to hike, horseback ride, snowshoe or ski, and set up camp for two nights under the stars. While they hope for dry weather, they go rain or shine. Even when conditions are poor, people generally come back happy.

    “The worry of being cold is probably worse than the actual risk of getting cold; I think you learn a lot from that,” says Carl Hård af Segerstad, the brand’s global events manager. Everyone also learns that their actions have consequences, he says. “I think you learn some kind of self-reliance in that, and I think that is probably the biggest outcome of this.”

    An opportunity to decompress and experience team bonding

    About 30 to 40 people get to go every year, so the group is always changing. People are excited about the opportunity to go and for the chance to decompress, and there’s a buzz around the office both before and after the trip each year. The team tries to organize the group so that employees get to spend time with other staff they don’t typically work with directly.

    “The cohesiveness and the feeling of being a part of the group grows, of course,” Hård af Segerstad says. “I would say, both before and after, there is great energy in the office.”

    Even if you’re not familiar with the name Fjällräven, you’ve most likely seen the brand around. The brand’s most recognizable product is its iconic Kånken backpack, which debuted in 1978 as an answer for Swedish school children whose book bags were causing back problems. The square design has changed little since the product was first launched, and is a testament to the brand’s commitment to timeless design that doesn’t need to be replaced every season when styles change. This year, the brand will celebrate the 50th anniversary of its Expedition Down Jacket, a cold-weather piece that has endured changing times with little need for evolution.

    The beginning of their corporate team-building trip 

    The Winter Education tradition started out informally with the brand’s founder, Åke Nordin, who launched the company in 1960 with a wooden-frame trekking backpack. Nordin often brought friends out into the wilderness, Hård af Segerstad says, and over time, his definition of “friends” expanded as the company grew. Of course, it was also natural for him to outfit those friends with his company’s gear as a way to do some informal product testing.

    “It was an integrated part of his product development without being super commercial about it,” Hård af Segerstad says. That Expedition Jacket actually came out of one of these very trips, he added—Nordin spent a cold night outdoors and wanted to find a way to make his down jacket warmer. He experimented with sewing two jackets together so that the baffles overlapped, and boom, the Expedition was born.

    In addition to extreme staff bonding, the Winter Education tradition also affords today’s staff members this same opportunity. For those who design the products, it’s a chance to tinker with new ideas and improve upon old designs. For those who engage with the products in a different way, it provides an opportunity to understand how their products work, who their customer is and how to connect with them.

    Fjällräven now operates Classics, a handful of social trekking events across the globe, in locations including Sweden, Chilean Patagonia, South Korea, Colorado and more. Those events, which are much bigger and which anyone can purchase a ticket to (as long as you can grab one before they sell out), provide an additional opportunity for staff to bond with each other, meet customers and work toward the company mission to get the everyman outdoors. The only wintertime event the brand currently runs is the Fjällräven Polar, which is a long-distance dog sledding adventure across the Scandinavian Arctic tundra. It’s a bit harder to snag a spot on, but anyone can apply. It’s free if you win a spot through a juried social media competition.

    Even though February is about as cold as it gets in Sweden, and temperatures at Winter Education destinations are often 14 degrees or colder, Hård af Segerstad says people usually jump at the opportunity to join for the adventure. Most staff members have never gone winter camping before participating, and they’re excited to leave the office a little early to hoof it into the woods on a Friday afternoon. Throughout the weekend, the students learn how to manage their body temperature so they stay comfortable and don’t overheat or sweat, which can become a safety risk. They also learn how to cook outdoors and how to manage wet gear and condensation in the tent on frigid evenings.

    Ultimately, it may sound like quite an odd company retreat, but it serves the same purpose, Hård af Segerstad says.

    “[This] is a little bit more on brand, I would say,” he says, comparing Winter Education to corporate functions in other industries. “Knowing your product and knowing what we expect, or what users [who] buy our products actually expose themselves to—I think that is why we do it this way.”

    Get to know your team through the DiSC assessment

    Having a good team can make or break a company. Recent data from Gallup estimates that just 30% of U.S. employees are engaged and enthusiastic at work. Another recent Gallup report found that disengaged employees cost the global economy $8.8 trillion in lost productivity. You do the math on what that could mean for you.

    Proactive team building, either by company retreats or regular office events, is one way to foster community among your employees and facilitate growth and collaboration. Another way is to get to know yourself and your employees better through a DiSC assessment, which is sort of like a professional personality test. The name stands for the four personality profiles it assesses: dominance, influence, steadiness and conscientiousness. The test can help identify individuals’ leadership styles and provide insight into how members of your team may work together best. It can also inform the best approach to corporate team-building activities. 

    Learn more about the DiSC assessment.

    Photo credit: lshafiq/Shutterstock

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  • Social Bonding Through Movies: The Emotional Magic Behind Watching Films Together

    Social Bonding Through Movies: The Emotional Magic Behind Watching Films Together


    Movies can be an excellent social bonding experience in a variety of situations, including first dates, family movie nights, group watches, couples therapy, and professional settings. Learn more about the emotional dynamics behind watching films together.

    Beyond being a source of entertainment, films have the power to foster social bonds and create shared experiences among individuals.

    Whether it’s getting together at a friend’s house on a weekend night, embarking on a first date at the theaters, or upholding a family tradition of watching the same movie during holidays, watching movies together is one of the most common ways we connect with others.

    But what’s the psychology behind these cinematic connections? Let’s dive into the many social benefits behind movie watching and how they can improve our relationships in a number of different social settings.

    Shared Experiences

    Every time you press “Play” on a new movie, you are starting a collective journey with whoever you are watching with. No one knows what will happen, so you are both entering the unknown together and experiencing it for the first time.

    Every film is a rollercoaster of different emotions – joy, laughter, surprise, fear, suspense, disgust, sadness, anger – and everyone is experiencing those emotions together as a “hive mind.” Research shows emotions are contagious, and when multiple people are experiencing the same emotion in unison, feelings are often amplified more than if you were just experiencing it by yourself.

    Movies create new shared experiences that mark new chapters throughout our relationship. “Remember that one time we saw Wolf on Wall Street? That was fun!” A memorable movie can become a distinct event in our relationship’s storyline, especially if it symbolizes a special day like a first date, birthday, or anniversary, giving us a positive memory to look back on and reminisce about.

    Watching movies together doesn’t require much work, it effortlessly creates a sense of unity among the people watching. Even if everyone hates the movie, it still creates a shared bond, “Wow, that movie was really stupid!” and then you can all laugh about it.

    Icebreaker and Conversation Starter

    Watching films together serves as an excellent icebreaker, especially in situations where individuals may be meeting for the first time or trying to strengthen new connections.

    The movie theater, often considered a classic venue for a first date, provides a natural conversation starter. After the credits roll, initiating a conversation becomes as easy as asking, “Did you like the movie? Why or why not?” Ask about favorite scenes or whether they’ve seen other movies featuring the same actor or actress.

    Use the film as a springboard into other topics to talk about. If you’re skilled at conversation threading, you should be able to take one thing from the film and branch off into more important subjects. If it’s a film about music, inquire about their musical preferences or whether they play an instrument. For sports-themed movies, explore their favorite sports or childhood sports experiences.

    Icebreakers aren’t exclusive to first dates; they’re equally helpful in building connections in various scenarios, whether it’s getting to know a coworker outside the office or deepening a friendship.

    One fair criticism of movies as a bonding experience is that you don’t get to do much talking during them. It’s a passive experience, not an active one. But there are also benefits to this: it’s a shared experience with little effort (no pressure, just sit and watch), and it gives you a convenient starting point for more meaningful conversation later on.

    Nostalgia and Tradition

    For many, watching films together is not just an occasional activity but a cherished tradition that spans multiple generations.

    Family movie nights play a pivotal role in strengthening the bonds between parents and children. Holiday film marathons, especially during festive seasons, elevate our collective spirit and enhance the joyous atmosphere. Revisiting favorite childhood movies creates a profound sense of nostalgia, keeping us connected to our past.

    One popular family tradition may be during Christmas, such as having A Christmas Story playing in the background as you decorate the tree or watching It’s A Wonderful Life every Christmas eve.

    These traditions are about more than just the movie; they’re about creating a whole family experience. Infuse your own unique twist by turning it into a game, baking homemade cookies before watching, or simply enjoying jokes and good company. The film itself is just one aspect of a complete family ritual and bonding experience.

    When families embrace these shared traditions, they contribute to a profound sense of belonging and unity. These rituals become the threads weaving together the fabric of family ties and friendships over long periods of time.

    Team Building and Group Bonding

    Beyond personal connections, watching films together can be an effective team-building activity in professional settings.

    Organizational unity can be difficult to achieve for many companies, especially when workers have radically different jobs and skillsets, often being assigned to work within one department of a company but being siloed off from the organization as a whole.

    Movie nights and film screenings can be an effective way to provide employees with a stronger sense of unity and camaraderie. Different departments that normally don’t see each other get to cross-pollinate and make connections with faces they don’t often get to see. Scheduled events like this can foster a team of teams mindset, helping to interconnect different departments into a cohesive whole.

    Perhaps certain movies depict an idea, philosophy, or mindset that an organization wants to embrace more of. Requiring every employee to watch a movie together is more than just making friends at work, it can also tap into a deeper meaning behind the organization’s mission and purpose.

    Couples Therapy

    Movies can serve as bouncing points to important conversations that need to be had between spouses and loved ones.

    It’s not always easy to bring up certain topics of conversation, but through film you can organically dive into subjects that otherwise wouldn’t get brought up in everyday discourse, like mental health, sex and intimacy, or experiencing grief after a tragedy or loss.

    It’s common for a couples therapist to recommend a specific movie to their clients. You may already know of a movie that you’d like to share with someone. You can also ask friends or seek recommendations online. Ask yourself, “What’s something I really want to talk about with my partner?” then “What’s a good movie that can introduce this topic?”

    A powerful film can help couples process their relationship more clearly. It shows the universality of humanity – you’re not alone with whatever you are going through – and brings ideas out in the open that need to be expressed or talked about.

    One exercise you can try together is to each take notes or fill out a movie analysis worksheet while watching.

    Communal Bonding and Bridging Social Divides

    On a larger scale, film watching can help bridge cultural and social divides, as well as be used as a tool for communal bonding.

    Social events such as public screenings, outdoor showings, movie festivals, or drive-thru theaters are great settings to watch a movie among a large and diverse group of people within your community.

    These days with easy access to streaming services at home, most people watch movies all by themselves, but there used to be a time when movie-watching was an intrinsically social activity done in public spaces.

    As we continue to see a decline in community feeling, movies may be one avenue to start bringing people together again as a cohesive group.

    One idea is for local organizations to throw more public events with film features to celebrate holidays or special events – or you can set up a projector on your garage door and invite some neighbors for a weekend movie watch.

    Conclusion

    Watching films together is more than just a passive form of entertainment; it is a dynamic social activity that brings people together, creating lasting bonds and shared memories.

    Films are universal connectors. Whether it’s with family, friends, or colleagues, the act of watching a movie together creates an automatic bond and sense of unity.

    Are you a big movie watcher? In what situations can use film watching to improve your relationships with family, friends, loved ones, or coworkers?


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    Steven Handel

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  • How to Structure and Build a Team For Long-Term Success | Entrepreneur

    How to Structure and Build a Team For Long-Term Success | Entrepreneur

    Opinions expressed by Entrepreneur contributors are their own.

    My dad was a high school basketball coach in the middle of rural Arizona. He rarely had the exact same group of players on a team year after year, so he never had just one system that he relied on. Instead, he learned to accept that he got who he got, reviewed what talent he had been given, and built that year’s system based on the player’s strengths.

    And I’ve learned from his example. As a manager, that’s how I try to structure my teams. I ask myself who I have or can hire that can fill a role based on their temperament, abilities and goals. Ultimately, that puts people in places where they can contribute, and if those individuals succeed, the team and organization will grow, too. On a larger scale, this can position a company for stronger growth and competitiveness.

    Four core components necessary for success

    There are many ways to structure an organization: A leader can use a matrix structure with various employees reporting across functions or teams. Or, organizations can employ a more formal pyramid structure. Some marketing departments will align their teams around the various audiences or channels they’re trying to reach.

    However, who I’m hiring for the team is much more important to me than how the business charts out. I prioritize who candidates are as a person, looking for four considerable qualities:

    1. Grit — Have they experienced failure in their life, and did they rise above it? Do they own up to that failure and understand the lessons learned from the mistake, or are they still just running from it?
    2. Optimism — I wish I could tell you that I am naturally optimistic. Unfortunately, I’m a glass-half-empty kind of person and know keeping a sunny outlook isn’t easy. I look for consistently positive people because it fosters stronger team bonds. I have found that optimism can often get a person noticed, which tends to move them up the ladder as people gain confidence based on their positivity.
    3. Written communication — I have spoken at several marketing conferences, and the one skill that I have told young marketers is to hone their writing skills. Communicating your ideas within an organization through email, creating an effective AI prompt, or drafting a persuasive marketing plan relies on the written word.
    4. Seeking “good enough” — Marketing budgets are rarely as large as the team believes they need. A good marketer has to make do and figure out how to get things done despite a lack of budget. In my experience, people will often sacrifice “good enough” to reach perfection. They don’t understand that perfection is illusory. It doesn’t have to be perfect, and everybody will make mistakes. The ability to effectively solve a problem in a matter that is efficient and effective without being perfect is a skill that leaders highly value.

    Related: 5 Effective Ways to Build a Winning Team

    Strategic placement means everybody wins

    When leaders are actively developing the structure of their company, it’s wise to hire individuals who are good at things they are not. But they also can look at what individuals have the potential to be good at. In a previous organization, I had an employee who was involved in event management but who wanted to move into marketing; I had another employee who was tired of email marketing but wanted to learn event management. Both employees had to learn new skills to move forward with these new paths. Being in this situation allowed me to help both of them achieve their career goals while putting them in positions where they could learn and be happier.

    Related: 10 Simple Steps to Build an Exceptional and Efficient Team

    True relationships are worth the balancing act

    Leaders have to be careful not to get caught in a situation where somebody could misconstrue their kindness or attention, but being in leadership doesn’t have to mean sacrificing gaining friendships. Balance being too friendly with being able to offer necessary corrections. By nature, I tend to be a people pleaser, so I must work on being tougher — especially early in relationships. After my collegiate basketball career ended, I became a high school basketball referee. I found that the whole game went smoother if I was tough in the first quarter of a game. It is important to establish a sense of control when they first hire a new team member, and then they can infuse the second, third and fourth quarters with more friendship.

    Leaders can have situations that test the relationships they’re working to build. Let’s say someone has two people on their team, and they have to decide which one gets promoted. The one who didn’t get promoted might feel like the leader let them down. Leaders must maintain enough professional distance so that an employee knows it was not due to favoritism in this situation.

    Sometimes, giving certain people opportunities to learn conflicts with the experience others already have. Suppose an employee is an excellent marketer, so they’re put in charge of a small team. What happens if one of the people who will now be reporting to this new manager already has experience as a manager? If the first employee is not given this opportunity, they won’t learn how to manage a team without the promotion — but if they get the position, jealousy could set in with the second employee who has proven skills. In this particular instance, it helps maintain clear communication between those getting the promotion and those not. Utilizing various conversations, such as during mid-year or other reviews, points about your plans for the individual and the overall team can help you manage through the inevitable tough times.

    As I think through my career, it is actually not just my team’s work that I am most proud of. It is seeing those team members go on to become great managers in their own right. If, at the end of the day, I can look back and see many of my former team members becoming great managers, I will feel like I was a success.

    Related: Not Sure How to Grow Your Team? Focus on These 3 Things.

    For a responsive foundation that lasts, build on people

    Company structure matters, but I consider who employees are to be more important when building a business. By intentionally playing chess to move workers where they can have the greatest development and influence, leaders can set themselves and their teams up for success.

    Along the way, leaders shouldn’t be afraid to pursue good relationships, even though doing so requires balancing potentially conflicting goals or interests. By making people the heart of the company and viewing success through a different lens, leaders can establish a reliable, flexible framework that can respond continuously to the future.

    David Partain

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  • 5 Traits You Must Have to Create More Leaders | Entrepreneur

    5 Traits You Must Have to Create More Leaders | Entrepreneur

    Opinions expressed by Entrepreneur contributors are their own.

    How do you define a truly great leader? While most of us have witnessed great leadership at various points throughout our careers and professional development, it is challenging to accurately pinpoint the secret sauce in leadership success. Great leaders have some obvious qualities in common, like their capacity to share an inspiring vision for the future. Great leaders often possess passion and charisma. They are strong communicators who connect, motivate and enlist their teams to achieve lofty goals. And perhaps most notably, great leaders create a line of devout followers.

    Not so fast.

    Great leadership has very little to do with one’s ability to amass followers. In his bestselling book “In Search of Excellence,” leadership guru Tom Peters explains, “Leaders don’t create followers, they create more leaders.”

    While every great business leader attracts their fair share of admirers, they simply don’t consider collecting followers as either an objective or a gauge of their leadership success. Instead, great leaders understand that a key function of good leadership is to develop team members into the best version of themselves and leaders in their own right.

    Related: 5 Ways to Develop Leaders Within Your Own Ranks

    Characteristics of a truly great leader

    Great leadership is a surprisingly nuanced and selfless role.

    Great leaders embrace their employees, not just for who they are and the functions they perform now, but also for who they can become and the position they can develop. Strong, capable employees do not threaten great leaders. Rather, they value their team’s talents, recognize their potential, and leverage their spirit of achievement.

    Great leaders create opportunities for their people’s growth — mentoring, encouraging, and elevating. They give their employees space to improve, the luxury to make mistakes, and the opportunity to learn from those errors. Great leaders grant their teams the freedom to explore and the capacity to excel.

    Great leaders care about their employees first as people and second as workers. They conduct themselves with the greatest integrity and model every day what great leadership looks and sounds like. They strategically position their people for individual growth as well as the long-term success of the business.

    Now, isn’t that far more substantial than merely creating followers?

    Related: Here’s How You Can Create Leaders in Your Team

    How to be a better business leader

    I could list characteristics of a great leader until the cows come home, but recognizing traits of a great leader and being one — well, those are two different things entirely.

    So, what can you do to improve your leadership skills and elevate yourself to a truly great leader? It all starts with connection and engagement. The following are five actions you can implement to help you become a great leader who develops more great leaders.

    1. Delegate tasks and activities

    Empower your employees and create development opportunities by strategically delegating challenging tasks. Your willingness to delegate key activities demonstrates your trust in your team and your commitment to their development. It is also fantastic on-the-job training.

    Related: 3 Ways to Effectively Delegate at Work and at Home

    2. Be a transparent communicator

    Employees should not be left to guess or assume how you feel about certain business dynamics. Being as forthcoming as possible with your team demonstrates that you respect their capacity to grasp and appreciate our positions. In short, candor builds trust.

    3. Recognize excellence

    Do you have a high performer or a passionate contributor? Don’t be shy about showing your appreciation and celebrating excellence. Everyone on your team should understand how grateful you are for their positive impact on the business’s overall success. And when they fall short, guide them to hit their mark next time.

    4. Invest in leadership development

    Create mentorship and leadership development opportunities. Remember, leadership development is not a one-and-done initiative but rather a sustained commitment to the long-term advancement of your people. Consider offering various leadership workshops, webinars and executive coaching programs.

    Related: 7 Leadership Qualities of All Great Leaders

    5. Share your vision

    By sharing your vision for the business, you provide your team with a clear sense of purpose and the opportunity for alignment. Your vision is an inspirational guide and a driving force that affects every aspect of your business and your decisions, so don’t keep it a mystery.

    By developing your own leadership skills, you also enhance your ability to cultivate those same skills in your employees, which sounds a lot like your next big step toward long-term success.

    Jason Zickerman

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  • 3. Stop Annoying Your Colleagues: Fix These 6 Behaviors Today | Entrepreneur

    3. Stop Annoying Your Colleagues: Fix These 6 Behaviors Today | Entrepreneur

    Opinions expressed by Entrepreneur contributors are their own.

    Many of us like to think we’re highly self-aware, but most of us are not. Emotional intelligence is hailed as one of the hallmarks of a great leader. It’s a hot topic in the workplace, and numerous research organizations have produced studies that say emotional intelligence comes down to a handful of factors — including self-awareness, emotional regulation and empathy.

    But why do we think we are more aware than we are? It’s because we don’t get enough feedback on how we come across to others. This leaves us with blind spots when it comes to understanding how others view us. You might think you’re a star employee and desirable peer, but you could make others more uncomfortable. As a mentor and leadership coach, I’ve identified six behaviors that you should address and fix if you want to maintain and grow a better workplace relationship with your peers.

    More from the author: 6 Habits of Powerful People

    Amy M Chambers

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  • How to Build Strong Marketing at a Mature Company | Entrepreneur

    How to Build Strong Marketing at a Mature Company | Entrepreneur

    Opinions expressed by Entrepreneur contributors are their own.

    Marketing teams at mature companies aren’t usually tasked to reinvent the wheel. They’re not responsible for driving triple-digit year-over-year growth. They’ve already introduced major initiatives and hired internally and/or found partners to help run them.

    This might sound cushy to marketers used to high-growth and startup land. But with most of the fundamental work covered, if not fully optimized, a marketing team’s success comes down to advanced factors like tech integration, analytics, channel expansion and brand marketing.

    For those at a mature company (or planning to develop yours into one), I’ll lay out:

    • Major initiatives to accelerate growth
    • Team skills needed
    • Build-or-buy considerations for your tech stack

    Related: How to Build a Marketing Function During the Early Stage of Your Startup

    Growth initiatives for mature companies

    If you’ve been in marketing for any length of time, I’m sure you’ve seen this John Wanamaker quote: “Half the money I spend on advertising is wasted; the trouble is I don’t know which half.” That’s been true for decades past the point Wanamaker first said it, but it doesn’t have to be true today, especially for companies with the resources to do intelligent analysis of their marketing campaigns.

    There are a number of areas where I see advertisers spending in 2023 that provide little to no return – and corresponding initiatives that could transform advertising performance.

    • More governance on programmatic placements. A recent report showing that 17% of programmatic clicks in Q2 2023 were fraudulent, even for the biggest advertisers, should be a huge red flag for brands running programmatic campaigns without insight into and control of placements. I’m not talking about mom-and-pop placements, either – in case you haven’t heard, YouTube’s placement practices are under hefty fire lately.
    • Assessing marginal return and incrementality. Whether overspending in primary channels without testing new ones or paying to engage audiences who would convert otherwise, even marketers at top brands generally waste tons of spending in a few under-analyzed areas.
    • Moving up the funnel. With all the tools available in 2023, it continues to amaze me how many smart advertisers turn up their noses at upper-funnel campaigns. Yes, the bottom of the funnel has more measurable return. Still, that gap is shrinking as platforms like Meta introduce native lift tests and branding measurement tools, and martech, like predictive analytics and media mix modeling, gets more accessible. The upper funnel helps advertisers reach net-new audiences less expensively, and it’s easier than it’s ever been to track the downstream effects of those campaigns. For instance, if you’re a Fortune 100 brand, don’t just run a Super Bowl ad and consider that branding box checked; take more precise aim with digital campaigns and start the customer journey with millions of potentially high-LTV new users.

    Marketing skills mature companies must prioritize

    More and more, I’m seeing premium value in analytics and creative talent (good luck finding that in one person). On the analytics side, marketing teams for mature brands should prioritize finding resources to do incrementality testing, conduct lift tests and cohort analyses, and get into the weeds of media mix modeling and predictive analytics to build action plans for engaging more high-LTV customers. This skill set transcends channels and should be able to spot opportunities to improve your campaigns across your entire marketing landscape.

    On the creative side, branding messaging, positioning, and visuals across a range of media can spin gold from upper-funnel initiatives, particularly as you dial in the combinations that work for different audiences that should cascade down the funnel. To do this well, you’ll need both great ideas and the mechanics to scale the delivery of those ideas across ad channels and media formats.

    Tech: to build or buy?

    In big marketing organizations spending a lot on martech tools, it’s pretty common for someone in upper management to wonder, out loud, whether it might be cheaper in the long run to build the necessary technology in-house. In theory, this has the benefit of being custom-built exactly to fit the brand’s needs, not built for the masses with a bunch of extra features you’ll pay for but never use.

    I’m an entrepreneur at heart, and I’ve gone down that road for my agency – and what I’ve learned is that in most cases, it’s smarter to buy from the experts than it is to build something yourself. Why? Well, if you use your existing team to build something, you’re asking them to do something they weren’t hired to do and may not be qualified to do. And if you hire someone else to build it, you might as well buy an established, vetted tool that already exists rather than pay someone to make something that may or may not work as well.

    Long story short: let the experts build the tech.

    What’s next

    A marketer’s job is never done. Fending off challengers and keeping on top of the latest industry developments and releases is a good chunk of work, even for companies at the very top of their industry. (Imagine being Nike’s CMO and ignoring TikTok, for instance.) But beyond that, there are real efficiencies and growth advantages to be gained by being on the ball with your analytics, creative, and holistic positioning. A team that can carve out a competitive edge in those areas will very rarely lose market share – and may just gain enough to earn promotions across the board.

    Bryan Karas

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  • Dynamic Leadership Teams Ignite Tech Startup Success | Entrepreneur

    Dynamic Leadership Teams Ignite Tech Startup Success | Entrepreneur

    Opinions expressed by Entrepreneur contributors are their own.

    This story originally appeared on Under30CEO.com

    The tech startup landscape in 2023 demands companies to form varied leadership teams consisting of individuals with distinct skill sets. This strategy enables startups to navigate the complex business and technological environment successfully. While larger corporations often adopt a more structured approach, startups thrive on creativity, cooperation, and adaptability. As a result, assembling a leadership team that personifies these characteristics is critical for success.

    The importance of diverse leadership teams in tech startups

    A diverse leadership team unites people with unique perspectives and experiences, fostering innovative problem-solving techniques and a holistic approach to tackling various business challenges. Furthermore, encouraging a culture of open communication and collaboration within these teams allows them to capitalize on opportunities, surmount hurdles, and pivot effectively to follow ever-changing market trends and demands in the dynamic tech startup world.

    Constructing the ideal leadership team

    To achieve this feat, founders must first assess their own and their colleagues’ strengths and weaknesses, using this insight to build a team that supports and complements each other. By blending technical and business-oriented mindsets, startups can develop imaginative solutions catering to customer demands and attracting investments.

    Related: 15 Strategies to Help Leaders Overcome Resistance to Change

    With a well-rounded team, startups can better handle the various challenges that emerge in the early stages of business development. This approach promotes a culture of collaboration and innovation while significantly increasing the likelihood of long-term success and growth for the company.

    Leveraging diverse professional experiences

    A paramount aspect of encouraging high-performance culture is tapping into diverse professional experiences and incorporating various viewpoints from the leadership team. This tactic not only enhances communication within the company but also nurtures a culture of constant experimentation and prompt decision-making.

    By embracing diversity and inclusion, organizations can establish a collaborative environment where individuals with different skills and perspectives work together towards a common objective. This dynamic workplace not only engenders innovation and creativity but also leads to increased employee satisfaction and retention, ultimately contributing to the organization’s overall success.

    Multidimensional leadership in a fast-paced world

    In today’s rapidly changing world, multidimensional leadership empowers organizations to adapt to fluctuating market trends and maintain their competitive advantage. By merging the ideal blend of expertise and viewpoints, startups are more likely to optimize their performance and increase their chances of achieving long-term success.

    Related: Should You Accept a Promotion Without a Raise? Here’s What Experts Say.

    This leadership approach cultivates a collaborative setting where diverse teams can effectively communicate, share ideas, and innovate collectively. Consequently, multidimensional leaders not only propel the growth of the organization but also nurture a productive and resilient workforce capable of facing complex challenges.

    Conclusion

    The competitive nature of the tech startup scene in 2023 necessitates a diverse and adaptable leadership team. By recognizing the strengths and weaknesses of each member, startups can create dynamic and well-rounded teams capable of fostering innovation and addressing various challenges. Through multidimensional leadership, organizations can build a more collaborative environment where diverse skills and perspectives contribute to long-term success and a resilient workforce.

    Erica Stacey

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  • 3 Ways to Start Your Startup On The Right Foot | Entrepreneur

    3 Ways to Start Your Startup On The Right Foot | Entrepreneur

    Opinions expressed by Entrepreneur contributors are their own.

    This story originally appeared on Under30CEO.com

    You’ve got your great business idea, but how can you execute it? It’s easy to feel like passion and excitement are all you need to get a business off the ground. The rest will come together as you go along, right?

    Wrong. Unfortunately, inspiration and emotion do not make a successful business. The good news, though, is that if you’re willing to invest some time, effort, and resources, you can dramatically increase your chances of success.

    There are many easy-to-overlook factors that, when tended to properly, can give your startup a much higher chance of taking off. If you’re starting a business, here are three key areas to take into consideration as you prepare to get things up and running.

    Related: 2 Grammy-Nominated Musicians Share What They Consider the Greatest Assets to Any Startup

    1. Purposefully develop your leadership skills

    Focusing on your strengths is tempting as you look for ways to get a company off the ground. Maybe you’re good with money, have a creative eye, or a history in sales.

    These are all good things, but there’s one area that you have to be comfortable with more than anything else if you want your startup to get going on the right foot: leadership.

    One of the easiest business areas to underestimate is the demands and complexities of being an executive. CEOs and other members of the C-suite aren’t just responsible for making practical decisions in a startup. They also need to establish the heart and soul of your company.

    If you and your founding partners need help finding your footing as a founding team, take time to invest in developing your leadership skills. You can do this by finding mentors or reading books on leadership. You can also work with an executive coaching firm to guide you.

    If you’re launching a business, make cultivating leadership skills a priority.

    2. Keep your founding team lean

    As you look for ways to help your startup thrive, remember that you don’t want to inflate your staff with unnecessary hires. A lean, mean founding team is almost always the best recipe for success.

    As you consider hiring your initial staff members, don’t “follow your gut” or listen to third-party advice — and for goodness sake, don’t hire your family members or best friends because they need work.

    Related: This Startup Is Reinventing the Yellow School Bus. Here’s Its Playbook for Winning Over the Hardest Customers (Like Public Schools).

    Instead, invest in a thoughtful, targeted hiring process. Co-founder of Under30CEO, Matt Wilson, recommends a three-step system for choosing each member of your bootstrap staff. This includes:

    • A phone interview
    • An in-person interview
    • A group interview and reference check

    Wilson adds that once hired, you should still keep an eye on new employees. “One of the hardest lessons I’ve learned with regards to staffing is that things are not always as they seem during the interview,” he says, adding, “Behavior, work ethic and attitude can shift once a new employee clicks out of interview mode and into work mode.”

    The takeaway here? Build your team thoughtfully. Make each hire slowly and evaluate each team member as they settle in. Make sure everyone is buying into your startup culture, vision, and mission — and they’re contributing to your group efforts and pulling their own weight, too.

    3. Stay flexible and ready to adapt

    Finally, remember to stay flexible as your startup gets off the ground. This is commonly referred to as a “growth mindset.” Stanford psychologist Carol Dweck coined the phrase as a way to differentiate from a “fixed mindset” — that is, a stagnant belief that your abilities, talents, and intelligence are inherent and unchangeable.

    In comparison, a growth mindset believes humans can grow and adapt to feedback.

    Related: Do This Simple Exercise to Unlock Your Potential, Says the Psychologist Who Coined the Phrase ‘Growth Mindset’

    While this is excellent self-help advice, it also applies to a startup mindset. As you build your business, remember to stay resilient, flexible, and ready to adapt to whatever circumstances arise as you go along.

    Pivots have saved many companies in the past. Sometimes these happen within the scope of a business, such as Netflix shifting from DVDs to streaming. At other times, it is a full-blown deviation. That’s how Slack was born from a failed gaming company.

    Whatever your startup’s initial goals may be, don’t be afraid to adjust them as you go along in the name of chasing success.

    So there you have it. Develop your leadership skills. Keep your founding team lean. Stay flexible and adapt when necessary. If you can master those three elements, you can give your startup the best chance of starting on the right foot.

    Kimberly Zhang

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  • 2 Grammy-Nominated Musicians Share What They Consider the Greatest Assets to Any Startup | Entrepreneur

    2 Grammy-Nominated Musicians Share What They Consider the Greatest Assets to Any Startup | Entrepreneur

    We recently had an amazing conversation about the skincare brand Mother Science with the power couple behind it, Mike Einziger and Ann Marie Simpson-Einziger. They are both massively successful musicians — Mike is the lead guitarist of Incubus, and Ann Marie is a Grammy-nominated violinist — and they both have a deep passion for business. We sat down with the couple and picked their brains on how they could create a successful skincare business in a highly saturated market.

    Their insights can easily be applied to any startup or aspiring entrepreneur looking for the next big idea. So here are four business lessons we learned from the brilliant minds behind Mother Science that you can use to your advantage.

    1. Passion over everything

    Entrepreneur Staff

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  • A Step-by-Step Guide to Achieving Organizational Alignment | Entrepreneur

    A Step-by-Step Guide to Achieving Organizational Alignment | Entrepreneur

    Opinions expressed by Entrepreneur contributors are their own.

    As a CEO, you put valuable time and effort into mastering your business strategy. It shapes your business structure and operations by providing life to your vision, purpose and values, driving the way you work.

    But no matter how solid your strategy, it’s only impactful if every team member is onboard, in sync and focused on the most important things.

    In my experience, achieving organizational alignment starts with me as the leader. The only way to do it successfully is from the top down.

    Related: ‘The Alignment Factor’: The Keys to Internal Alignment

    Why is organizational alignment important?

    Organizational alignment means that all employees have clarity about their roles and responsibilities, specifically in regard to how they contribute to the company’s success. It involves creating a sense of purpose and clarity around the individual tasks that they do each day.

    A business cannot scale without top-down alignment. The key is to create a unified front of team members working harmoniously toward the same goals.

    Achieving organizational alignment requires deliberate action and a systematic approach. Here are the key steps that CEOs can follow to build organizational alignment within their companies:

    Step 1: Build the right team

    Hiring the right people for the right roles may seem obvious, and yet so many companies get it wrong. Companies often hire people based on experience and skillset alone, but they forget about another incredibly important factor: culture fit.

    Should culture fit be the top priority when it comes to hiring? Probably not. But nonetheless, it can’t be disregarded because it has a high impact on organizational performance. Having people on your team who believe in and agree with your company values is critical to moving the organization forward. If an employee’s values are not in line with those of the company, they won’t be motivated to contribute to achieving the mission, and therefore, they are more likely to underperform.

    Step 2: Rally the team around a shared purpose

    Your purpose must resonate with all other foundational aspects of your business — vision, mission, etc. All team members should know, understand and commit to upholding the company’s purpose. It’s important to consistently remind team members of the “why” behind their daily work to maintain motivation. Attributing each goal to achieving a larger mission helps keep the larger mission in sight, even when narrowing it down to individual tasks.

    Step 3: Set and track collaborative goals

    With the broader strategy in place, break down the overarching goals by teams. Here you can enlist the help of your management team to break down the goals further into individual roles.

    In order to set and track goals properly, you must be on board with establishing a culture of transparency and accountability. Being transparent about individual responsibilities ensures that no two team members are stepping on each other’s toes, and everyone knows who is working on what.

    Furthermore, all employees should know how their teammates are progressing on targets. Making this data visible encourages team members to hold themselves and each other accountable. When employees encounter roadblocks, they should know who to approach for guidance and support.

    Consider using OKR software tools for optimal goal management.

    Step 4: Implement good communication habits

    We know that communication is often the root cause of workplace failures. It’s essential to not only strengthen the communication skills of your team members but also to establish systems and processes that will streamline effective communication.

    Teams should have daily stand-up meetings, also called huddles. Daily huddles are quick meetings structured to include updates on goals to keep everyone in the loop on the team’s performance. Managers should also have consistent one-on-one meetings with their direct reports to review targets on a more in-depth level and facilitate effective communication between managers and employees.

    In addition to tools like Slack and Zoom, you may also consider adopting an integrative workspace system with communication capabilities to streamline conversations.

    Related: Why Aligning Your Company Values is Crucial for Long-Term Success

    Step 5: Encourage teamwork

    By having employees work together to achieve goals, you yield better collaboration and faster results. Employees bring diverse perspectives, skills and experiences to the table, which can lead to innovative solutions and improved efficiency.

    In addition to being proven to boost morale, promoting teamwork in the workplace reinforces the concept of working together to achieve common goals, promoting alignment among team members.

    6. Focus on employee engagement

    Employee engagement is a key indicator of business performance and alignment. It’s important to consistently show appreciation to your employees and remind them that their contributions are meaningful.

    Consider using culture-building tools, like surveys and the Employer Net Promoter Score (eNPS), to gauge how well your culture is performing. These tools measure workplace engagement and satisfaction and can also provide insights into how employees perceive their work’s impact on the company’s mission, vision and values. By addressing any misalignments, CEOs can strengthen organizational alignment and improve performance.

    The common theme among all these steps is that they all involve the team. I would argue that in any successful organization, your people are your best asset. Refining, empowering and driving forward employees falls on the shoulders of the CEO. This is why it’s critical to get every step right and ensure you are actively working toward strengthening your team at its core.

    An empowered and aligned workforce is a productive one, and as the leader of the team, it starts with you.

    Related: How To Align Your Company Goals To Breed Success

    Doug Walner

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  • 3 Tips for Improving a Difficult Workplace Relationship | Entrepreneur

    3 Tips for Improving a Difficult Workplace Relationship | Entrepreneur

    Opinions expressed by Entrepreneur contributors are their own.

    This story originally appeared on Under30CEO.com

    We’ve all heard the saying, “People don’t quit their jobs. They quit their bosses.” It’s an important professional truth and one that can apply to more than just a leader. Challenging relationships with co-workers, contractors, and professional peers, in general, can alter (and at times completely undermine) an otherwise positive workplace experience.

    If you’re struggling with difficult relationships at work, here are a few tactics to help you improve things moving forward.

    Kimberly Zhang

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  • 4 Lessons I Learned from Filming ‘Buying Beverly Hills’ | Entrepreneur

    4 Lessons I Learned from Filming ‘Buying Beverly Hills’ | Entrepreneur

    Opinions expressed by Entrepreneur contributors are their own.

    Having had the privilege of filming my own Netflix show, Buying Beverly Hills, I’ve gained leadership insights that wound up extending far beyond the realm of television. Over time, I came to realize that experiences and lessons learned during production have real value for those seeking success in a variety of ventures — even those not depicted on the small screen.

    Read on to see the four lessons I took away from filming season one of Buying Beverly Hills.

    Related: How Real Estate Agents Can Effectively Leverage the Power of Public Relations

    1. Authenticity is key

    One of the most crucial aspects of Buying Beverly Hills was its emphasis on authenticity. In an industry often associated with glamour and pretense, it was important to stay true to our core values and detail real-life obstacles and genuine interactions. My daughter, Alexia Umansky, showed viewers the challenges of being a green agent, for example, as she handled her first big listing (which happened to be our family home). As viewers got to watch mistakes made along the way, they were able to see the true process of being a newer agent and the challenges that come with breaking into the industry.

    Similarly, entrepreneurs should strive to be authentic. Transparency and honesty build trust with customers or clients, fostering long-term relationships and solidifying your reputation. People connect with the truth, and by embracing it in your values and actions, you can differentiate your brand and create a loyal following.

    Related: Why Being Real Is the New Perfect — How “Anti-Instagram” Apps Are Changing Social Media

    2. Regard challenges as opportunities

    As any entrepreneur knows, challenges are inevitable, and during production, we faced numerous ones, from tight timelines to unexpected hurdles. Joey Ben-Zvi, an agent at The Agency and a show cast member, learned firsthand the mishaps that can arise in this industry, particularly as he navigated listing his family’s property. In the end, though, we learned to view such challenges as opportunities for growth and innovation.

    The same principle applies broadly: Rather than becoming discouraged by setbacks, embrace them as chances to learn, adapt and improve. By maintaining a positive mindset that always embraces problem-solving, you’ll reliably turn adversity into a catalyst for success.

    Related: Few Industries Are Better for First-Time Investors Than Real Estate. Here Are 4 Proven Ways to Make a Profit.

    3. Build a strong team

    Behind the scenes of Buying Beverly Hills, I had a dedicated team working tirelessly — from seasoned producers to PR gurus ready to market and launch the series. Collaborating with talented professionals who shared my vision was instrumental, and that lesson has real legs: Leaders should prioritize building a strong team in their own ventures. Surround yourself with those who complement your strengths and share your passion and values. Such a crew can help navigate challenges, provide diverse perspectives and drive innovation. Success is rarely (if ever) achieved alone.

    Related: 10 Simple Steps to Build an Exceptional and Efficient Team

    4. Harness the power of storytelling

    Shooting the series was an indelible lesson in the impact and potential of a compelling narrative. Members of The Umansky Team, as well as other agents featured on the show, made a point of opening up and sharing their personal stories and professional struggles. Part of what I admired about our show — and what I believe sets it apart from similar programs — is that we showed the true process and experience of what it takes to make it in real estate, describing in detail the challenges and obstacles both new and seasoned agents face. In doing so, we created a deeper connection with the audience — genuine emotional engagement.

    Entrepreneurs can leverage this same concept by effectively telling their story and that of their brand. So, share your journey, the values that drive your business and the impact you aim to make. Such a narrative will resonate with a target audience, and you’ll be able to use it to create a memorable and authentic brand. Through storytelling, you can forge stronger connections with both existing and potential clients, and so differentiate yourself from competitors.

    Related: 5 Ways Storytelling Can Make You a More Impactful Leader

    Mauricio Umansky

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  • 3 Effective Communication Strategies That Will Transform Your Team | Entrepreneur

    3 Effective Communication Strategies That Will Transform Your Team | Entrepreneur

    Opinions expressed by Entrepreneur contributors are their own.

    Modern business society places a progressively greater emphasis on establishing a unified corporate culture as a way of boosting the performance of employees. Scaling your company takes both intelligent and skilled personnel and the right chemistry between them. Workers should be able to get along with each other and with the company’s management if they are to work towards the same goals.

    Surveys identified senior executives as the party that primarily influences an organization’s culture and development. 76% of respondents indicated that founders and CEOs impact corporate culture the most.

    From a C-level executive’s perspective, building a strong team is not only about hiring capable people who can be trusted to do their job in a quality fashion. It is also about properly communicating the company’s mission and values to these people.

    In this article, I will share some thoughts and tips on building and managing a strong team based on my personal experiences as a business and team leader.

    Related: 4 Expert-Backed Strategies for Improving Your Communication Skills

    1. Convey your strategy and motivate employees to reach transparent goals

    One of the first steps when it comes to communication with your workers is being open with them about where your company is going. When everyone in a team can share a common objective and an understanding of what they are working towards, it creates a sense of unity and purpose. It allows individual employees to put their efforts in alignment, fostering collaboration towards the same goals.

    Additionally, having a rational and well-defined strategy provides structure and direction to the team’s actions. Having a clear roadmap with outlined steps, responsibilities and timelines helps team members understand their roles and contributions, minimizing any potential confusion and conflicts. They can prioritize tasks and make collective decisions aligning with the objectives and target milestones.

    As such, communication with team members must always be open, and the company’s plans and strategies must be transmitted to everyone in a transparent fashion. It is crucial to foster mutual understanding between employees and company leadership.

    2. Trust your people to manage things without supervision

    When you are a business leader, you can’t afford to take the time necessary to keep a close eye on the day-to-day workings of your company. Nor should you, really. A crucial aspect of fostering healthy leader-employee relationships is being able to trust your people to complete the tasks you give them without oversight.

    When a team leader demonstrates trust in the abilities of his or her subordinates and provides them with autonomy, it promotes a sense of responsibility. It means the leader acknowledges their competence and expertise, thus boosting their confidence and motivation.

    From personal experience, I can say that if you don’t have that kind of trust, you will have to micromanage every little thing yourself, leaving you with little to no time or energy to focus on the more strategic aspects of running and scaling your business.

    A culture of trust also encourages open communication within the organization. When employees feel trusted by their superiors, they are more likely to reach out with ideas, share concerns and seek guidance when needed. This serves to cultivate a positive-minded work environment that promotes creativity and productivity.

    3. Promote relationship-building in your company

    Encouraging a sense of community and fostering deeper relationships among your employees can easily be a cornerstone for strengthening team bonds. When coworkers can connect personally, it helps build a sense of trust, empathy and collaboration.

    Organize team-building events, create spaces for informal interactions (physically or online) and strive for an environment where employees feel comfortable and motivated to build relationships with their colleagues. When they have established relationships with their peers, people are more likely to share ideas openly, ask for help when needed and work together, leading to increased efficiency and productivity.

    Not only that, but stronger team bonds also improve employee satisfaction and job retention. Workers who feel seen by and connected to their colleagues are more likely to enjoy their work environment than when they are simply considered cogs in a mechanism.

    Overall, fostering relationship-building within a company is a win-win situation as it encourages teamwork and can contribute to higher levels of engagement and loyalty within your company.

    Related: 4 Trends That Will Disrupt Your Communication Strategy

    Bottom line: Better communication supports individual and organizational success

    Effective communication is the foundation of pretty much everything that your team does. It is a fundamental part of any work-related activity, workforce performance and output your company demonstrates.

    This is why any leader who seeks to improve their business and push it towards greater heights must emphasize the people who support all their endeavors and take time to build mutual trust with them. Some of it might come naturally; some of it will take time and effort. But if you can get it right, the results will be worth it.

    Greg Waisman

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  • 10 Simple Ways to Build a Collaborative and Efficient Team at Work | Entrepreneur

    10 Simple Ways to Build a Collaborative and Efficient Team at Work | Entrepreneur

    Opinions expressed by Entrepreneur contributors are their own.

    In today’s rapidly evolving business landscape, the importance of building an exceptional work team cannot be overstated. A high-performing team can drive innovation, increase productivity and ultimately improve business outcomes.

    As someone who’s both built great teams and failed at doing so, I understand teamwork’s critical role in achieving success. In this article, we’ll explore solid factors that contribute to building an exceptional work team and provide actionable steps to help you create a winning formula for your organization.

    1. Establish a clear vision and purpose

    The foundation of any successful team is a clear and compelling vision. This vision should define the team’s purpose and inspire and motivate its members. To create a strong vision, consider the following:

    • Align the team’s goals with the organization’s mission and strategy.
    • Ensure that every team member understands their role in achieving the vision.
    • Communicate the vision regularly and consistently to maintain focus and motivation.

    2. Recruit the right talent

    An exceptional team consists of diverse individuals who bring unique skills, experiences and perspectives to the table. When recruiting team members, focus on the following:

    • Look for candidates with complementary skill sets that will enhance the team’s overall capabilities.
    • Consider cultural fit and how well a candidate’s values align with the organization’s.
    • Don’t be afraid to hire people who may challenge the status quo, as they can often drive innovation and improvement.

    Related: Diversity in the Workplace: Benefits and Why You Need It

    3. Cultivate a culture of trust and mutual respect

    Trust and mutual respect are essential elements of a high-performing team. To foster these qualities, consider the following:

    • Encourage open and honest communication among team members.
    • Create an environment where mistakes are seen as learning opportunities rather than failures.
    • Recognize and celebrate the achievements of individual team members and the team as a whole.
    • Address conflicts and disagreements promptly and constructively.

    4. Emphasize effective communication

    Clear and open communication is vital for any team to function at its best. To promote effective communication, consider the following:

    • Provide regular opportunities for team members to share updates, concerns, and ideas.
    • Implement tools and processes that facilitate efficient communication, such as project management software or team messaging platforms.
    • Encourage active listening and ensure every team member feels heard and understood.
    • Foster a culture of feedback, both positive and constructive, to help team members grow and improve.

    5. Encourage collaboration and teamwork

    Exceptional teams excel at working together to achieve their goals. To encourage collaboration and teamwork, consider the following:

    • Assign tasks and projects that require cross-functional collaboration, allowing team members to learn from one another and build stronger working relationships.
    • Create opportunities for team members to socialize and bond outside of work, such as team-building events or informal gatherings.
    • Recognize and reward collaboration and teamwork in performance evaluations and promotions.

    Related: Six Tactics To Improve Collaboration For Remote Teams

    6. Provide opportunities for growth and development

    To maintain a high-performing team, investing in your team members’ professional growth and development is essential. Consider the following:

    • Offer training and development programs that align with the team’s and the organization’s needs.
    • Encourage team members to pursue new skills and knowledge through conferences, workshops, and online courses, provide regular performance feedback and create individual development plans to help team members reach their full potential.

    7. Set clear expectations and hold team members accountable

    A high-performing team requires clear expectations and accountability. You can do this by clearly defining each team member’s roles and responsibilities and establishing measurable goals and objectives for the team to work towards.

    Related: Set Yourself Up for Success By Setting Expectations

    8. Foster a culture of innovation and continuous improvement

    Exceptional teams are always looking for ways to improve and innovate. To foster this mindset, consider the following:

    • Encourage team members to experiment with new ideas and approaches.
    • Provide resources and support for team members to pursue innovative projects or initiatives.
    • Recognize and celebrate successes, as well as learn from failures.

    9. Be adaptable and resilient

    Adaptability and resilience are crucial for any team in today’s fast-paced business environment. To develop these qualities, consider the following:

    • Encourage team members to embrace change and view it as an opportunity for growth.
    • Develop contingency plans to help the team navigate unexpected challenges or setbacks.
    • Foster a culture of optimism and positivity, even in the face of adversity.

    Related: Resilience Is One of the Most Essential Entrepreneurial Traits. Practicing This Can Help You Build It.

    10. Lead by example

    As a leader, your actions and behaviors set the tone for your team. To create an exceptional work team, lead by example and embody the values and attributes you want to see in your team members.

    Building an exceptional work team takes care, emotional intelligence, and time. By focusing on these key factors and implementing the actionable steps outlined in this article, you can create a high-performing team that drives innovation, increases productivity and ultimately leads to better business outcomes — and better still, you’ll have amassed a group of genuine allies and collaborators.

    Christopher Massimine

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  • Ways of Increasing Employee Productivity And Boost Morale | Entrepreneur

    Ways of Increasing Employee Productivity And Boost Morale | Entrepreneur

    Opinions expressed by Entrepreneur contributors are their own.

    Business owners and managers are always looking for ways to boost productivity in the workplace. A company can’t succeed unless everyone is motivated and willing to work hard to achieve shared goals. Being hyper-critical and micromanaging your team often backfires and makes employees feel more stressed and resentful.

    Instead, you should work toward creating a happy workplace, relaxed environment where everyone feels valued and appreciated. Happiness and productivity are known to go hand in hand. So, if you want to see revenue increase and goals met at a faster pace, don’t just look at the bottom line but also consider the attitudes and mindset of your team. Here are a few tips to help you do so.

    Give colleagues positive feedback

    When a colleague does something that makes your day, be sure to let them know. Everyone loves to feel appreciated, yet far too many people neglect the simple acts of kindness that make others feel like their effort is being valued.

    Related: Simple Techniques for Boosting Morale That Many Leaders Miss. Are You One of Them?

    It could be work-related or any simple gesture that helped you out. They may have offered to chip in on a project to help you meet a deadline or met their work goals for the month. Any positive action, no matter how small, should be acknowledged with positive feedback to encourage similar behavior in the future. If it’s something small, a simple thank you may suffice, but if it’s more significant, you may consider sending them a card or a modest gift. Just be sure to be specific about what they did and how it affected you.

    Congratulate colleagues on their wins

    In addition to providing positive feedback, you should also congratulate colleagues on any wins or achievements. No one wants to feel like their hard work is going unacknowledged, especially in the workplace. So, take the time to give recognition for employee achievements — large or small. Maybe they exceeded their monthly sales goals or brought in a new client.

    Related: 50 of the Best Work from Home Jobs That Pay Well in 2023

    No matter what the victory, make sure to acknowledge it and encourage them to keep it up. A simple email may suffice, or if possible, congratulate them in person. You may even consider hosting a regular meeting to acknowledge staff accomplishments. But don’t sandwich it in between feedback and requested improvements – let the kudos stand on their own and find a different way to address improvement if necessary.

    Create shared plans

    Humans are social creatures, and we thrive when working in groups. So, make an effort to create shared plans and communicate goals and expectations. Employees can quickly become frustrated and stressed out if they feel they need a clearer sense of what is expected from them, or they can’t effectively communicate with colleagues and management. So, creating shared plans helps to ensure employees aren’t wasting time trying to figure out how to best serve the company or team. It also helps encourage teamwork and collaboration so that no one feels isolated or left out of the decision-making process.

    Encourage an open dialogue

    Communication is essential to a happy, productive workplace, so encourage open dialogue between employees, management, and other key partners. Have regular conversations about the team’s progress and get feedback on what works well and what can be improved.

    Set aside time at your regular staff meetings to answer a few questions:

    • How can we help each other use time more efficiently
    • What are our biggest time wasters as a group? (Email, chatting?)
    • What types of breaks are essential to help us focus longer?

    Keep in mind that email and conversation are essential aspects of a healthy work-social life, but too much socializing can reduce focus. Also, remember that breaks are scientifically proven to improve focus in the long run. However, you must be strategic about when and what types of breaks you employ to improve productivity and avoid creating unnecessary distractions.

    Related: The Next Time Someone Intimidates You, Here’s What You Should Do

    When creating this open dialogue, try to center it around how the group can improve and not single out particular individuals. That will make it easier to provide constructive criticism without feeling like you’re chastising anyone in particular.

    Set clear goals for productivity and happiness

    Finally, you should also prioritize discussing goals for productivity and happiness in the workplace. While it’s essential to set objectives related to earning or completing tasks to keep everyone on track, this shouldn’t be your only concern. Also, discuss ways you can improve the workplace’s overall happiness and comfort level by eliciting feedback from your staff.

    You could set a goal of hosting one pizza party per month or regularly recognize one person in the office for their hard work. Once you realize that happiness and productivity go hand in hand, you’ll start making a consistent effort to improve the mindset and well-being of your team. Everyone will be more productive if they feel their personal source of happiness is being recognized and fed.

    ReadWrite.com

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  • 5 Ways to Achieve Better Recruitment | Entrepreneur

    5 Ways to Achieve Better Recruitment | Entrepreneur

    Opinions expressed by Entrepreneur contributors are their own.

    While candidates must work hard to impress their potential employers, employers must also present candidates with the benefits of working for the company. Having the right employees on board can contribute to your overall success as a business. They can also minimize the need to hire several times, which can be expensive. Therefore, companies must make a good impression by implementing a highly efficient recruitment process. Here are some ways to achieve better recruitment.

    Related: 6 Strategies for Making a Good First Impression During Business Meetings

    1. Fast-track your hiring process

    One way to improve recruitment is to fast-track the hiring process. You must ramp up your recruitment process to attract qualified and skilled staff. One way to do this is by leveraging modern tech tools like online skill tests and recorded video interviews to filter unqualified candidates, hasten short-list creations, and expedite hiring decisions.

    Another way is by defining job requirements. Loosely defining job requirements can bring the recruitment process to a crawl. Fast-track recruitment aims to quickly identify qualified candidates systematically and accurately within a short period. Organizations must first determine the core competencies required for the position to gauge an applicant’s qualifications.

    Related: How Can You Make the Recruiting Process Faster?

    Before posting a job ad for any position, organizations should conduct a thorough job analysis. They do this by interviewing existing employees holding the job position, reviewing job descriptions, and consulting with subject matter experts. A clear, detailed, and focused outline of the skills and abilities required for the job can shorten the hiring process. In addition, organizations should also consider creating realistic job previews. These include simulations in skill tests replicating on-the-job tasks, and helping hiring teams reduce unqualified applicants.

    2. Implement safer recruitment

    Safeguarding during recruitment is one of the best ways to protect your organization. This is especially true for those working with children and vulnerable individuals. If organizations can detect predatory individuals and prevent them from working with vulnerable individuals, they can stop several cases of mistreatment and abuse. Safer recruitment can help stop this abuse by ensuring you will not hire dangerous individuals.

    Related: 4 Ways to Strengthen Recruitment, Retention and Engagement in the Wake of the Great Resignation

    Unlike a typical recruitment process, safer recruiting involves additional steps and amendments to the usual steps. The primary steps include creating job descriptions with references to the responsibilities involved in keeping children and vulnerable individuals safe, having references from previous employers, and interviews involving specific questions about the candidate’s suitability to work with children and vulnerable individuals.

    3. Use social media

    Tapping into your social media networks is one of the best ways to improve recruitment. You can rely on social media to stir up interest and attract the best candidates. More and more candidates are now turning to social media for job research. So, you must be able to take advantage of these to increase your chances of finding the best employees.

    Related: 4 Free Ways to Grow Your Social Networks

    Some companies that use social media for recruitment say they have brought in higher-quality candidates, all thanks to social media’s diverse range of filters and hashtags. For instance, Facebook allows you to set advanced search filters to align with the persona of your ideal candidate. You can set the criteria according to location, industry, specific keywords, etc.

    4. Get help from specialist recruiters

    Many businesses are now recognizing the importance of partnering with specialist HR recruiters, as these experts know how to conduct recruitment properly. These specialist HR recruitment agencies can help locate the ideal candidates for your business. Having the right skilled professionals on your team is essential for success.

    Hiring the wrong candidate can cost companies a lot of money, not to mention wasted time and effort. To guarantee the best hire, you must clearly understand your industry, something that specialist recruiters have. They can advise you on industry trends, provide job insights, and benchmark salary offerings. These recruitment agencies will take the time to understand the role, company culture, and business objectives, allowing them to create bespoke hiring strategies.

    Specialist recruiters might charge you a fee but consider that a good investment. When you pay for a recruitment specialist, you will have access to excellent talent pools, job board advertising, and social platforms, allowing you to target and attract ideal candidates.

    5. Look to recruit internally

    When filling up some positions, most companies immediately turn to traditional recruitment, where you look for people outside the company who can fill in these positions. Why don’t you look within the company and see if some of your existing employees would be willing to take the roles? The process is called internal recruiting, which involves hiring someone from within the organization.

    One of the benefits of internal hiring is providing growth opportunities to employees. If you allow employees to grow, they will be happy to stick for a long time, reducing turnover rates.

    If you are confident about your team’s abilities, you already have a great pool of talents from whom you can hire to fill in new roles, and that means you won’t have to invest time, effort, and money in recruiting new ones. You won’t have to undergo background checks, conduct interviews, and other time-consuming steps involved with recruitment.

    Internal recruitment also allows you to save money. As you know, there are monetary costs involved in recruiting new employees. These can include paying for ads, fees for recruitment specialists, conducting interviews, and more. But if you already have people in the organization who can carry out the role, why don’t you onboard and train them?

    Under30CEO

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  • Balancing Office and Remote Productivity for Success in a Hybrid Workforce | Entrepreneur

    Balancing Office and Remote Productivity for Success in a Hybrid Workforce | Entrepreneur

    Opinions expressed by Entrepreneur contributors are their own.

    The hybrid workforce model has become an increasingly popular and compelling option for companies worldwide. By offering unparalleled flexibility and cost savings, it’s no wonder that more and more organizations are taking the plunge into this exciting new way of work.

    A staggering 56% of hiring managers anticipate that hybrid work arrangements will soon become the standard work mode in the foreseeable future, according to a recent survey quoted by ReadWrite.com. However, with great innovation comes great challenges. For companies transitioning to a hybrid workforce, striking the right balance between remote and in-office work can be one of the most significant obstacles to overcome.

    Related: 3 Ways to Create Cohesive Remote and Hybrid Teams

    The question arises: how do companies divide their employees’ time most effectively between remote work and office work? Let’s look into the challenges that come with achieving the perfect equilibrium of office and remote productivity, offering insights and strategies to help companies achieve a successful hybrid workforce.

    Tips to achieve optimal hybrid workforce productivity

    Hybrid work is becoming the new norm, and with it comes the challenge of maintaining optimal productivity. Here are some tips to help you achieve just that:

    • Set clear communication expectations: Foster a work environment that prioritizes consistent communication and leverages state-of-the-art technology to facilitate seamless collaboration while ensuring each team member has a clear delineation of their duties and obligations.
    • Prioritize work-life balance: Empower your workforce to prioritize self-care and maintain a harmonious work-life equilibrium, fortifying against burnout and ensuring sustained productivity.
    • Invest in the right technology: Leverage advanced technological tools, including video conferencing, team messaging applications, and project management software, to facilitate seamless connectivity between employees working remotely and those stationed in-office.
    • Foster team building and camaraderie: Plan team building activities, encourage virtual coffee breaks, and provide opportunities for in-person gatherings to help foster a sense of community.
    • Provide necessary resources and support: Ensure employees have access to the necessary resources, such as ergonomic office equipment, and provide the necessary support to ensure they can work effectively and efficiently.

    The benefits of a hybrid workforce

    The hybrid workforce empowers employees with the freedom to work from any locale, providing them with flexibility, while granting employers a way to curb operational costs. It bridges the great divide between office vs. remote, fostering a new paradigm of work that augments collaboration, promotes productivity and fuels innovation.

    Between January 25th and February 5th, 2023, an estimated 40% of gainfully employed individuals in Great Britain reported having conducted their work duties remotely at some point over the course of the previous seven days.

    Related: The Collapse of Credit Suisse: A Cautionary Tale of Resistance to Hybrid Work

    Hybrid work models bring great benefits to organizations and help the environment by diminishing traffic congestion, air pollution, and greenhouse gas emissions, according to ReadWrite.com. On the other hand, employers can revel in the advantage of significantly lower overhead costs, including rent, utilities and office supplies.

    Also, hybrid models enable organizations to tap into the vast global talent pool, allowing employers to access the most excellent talents worldwide. At the same time, employees can expand their career horizons beyond their geographical boundaries.

    Challenges of a hybrid workforce

    Due to the pandemic, a seismic shift occurred in how we work, and many companies have embraced the hybrid workforce model to adapt to this new reality. While the advantages of this approach are manifold, it is not without its significant hurdles that must be surmounted. Here are some of the most prevalent obstacles faced in implementing this new paradigm and the strategies that can be utilized to overcome them:

    • Difficulty in communication and collaboration: Maintaining effective communication and collaboration in a hybrid workforce can be challenging due to the heterogeneity of employees working in the office and remotely. This can lead to misunderstandings, delays and disharmony among team members, risking sub-optimal outcomes if not addressed.
    • Inadequate work-life balance: The convenience of working from home may cause employees to struggle with separating their work and personal lives, leading to an erosion of healthy boundaries that exacerbates stress, exhaustion and ultimately diminished output.
    • Technological issues: To optimize the productivity of a hybrid workforce, a sturdy and dependable technological infrastructure is needed to guarantee seamless communication, collaboration and unfettered access to vital resources regardless of location. However, sluggish internet speeds, antiquated software, and inadequate hardware are some of the technological challenges that could impede a hybrid workforce’s performance.
    • Challenges in team building and morale: Remote work may bring about a sense of seclusion and detachment from the team, causing a detrimental impact on both morale and team-building initiatives. This is particularly arduous for fresh hires who strive to forge camaraderie with their peers. It can be the difference between a smooth transition into the workforce and a lackluster start to their career journey.

    The rise of the hybrid workforce ushers in a new era of challenge and opportunity for organizations seeking to thrive. Achieving the optimal balance between office and remote productivity is paramount to success. This can be accomplished by implementing clear communication channels, strategically using cutting-edge technology and cultivating a culture of work-life balance and team building.

    Related: How to Manage a Happy and Healthy Hybrid Workforce

    It is the organizations that can recognize the unique advantages of a hybrid workforce and adopt a mindset of adaptability, trust, collaboration, and innovation that will truly excel in this new digital age. By embracing the full potential of the hybrid workforce, these organizations can lay the foundation for growth and success, making them well-positioned for long-term achievement and prosperity.

    ReadWrite.com

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  • 7 Proven Tips for Building Trust and Strengthening Workplace Relationships | Entrepreneur

    7 Proven Tips for Building Trust and Strengthening Workplace Relationships | Entrepreneur

    Opinions expressed by Entrepreneur contributors are their own.

    Trust is essential for a productive and thriving workplace. Employees do better when they have faith in the company and the leaders they work to support. Building confidence inside organizations comes primarily from more minor actions that build up over time. This increased faith leads to more employee collaboration, empowers decision-making, and increases loyalty to the company.

    Trust-building results are hard to ignore, especially when comparing low-trust and high-trust companies. Employees at the high-level report 74% less stress, 50% higher productivity, a 29% increase in satisfaction, and 40% less burnout. Trust has to be earned in most relationships, and the business world is no different. Here are seven trust-building tips that leaders and teams can implement in their day-to-day workflow.

    1. Stay true to the four Cs

    Competence, commitment, consistency, and caring are the four elements associated with creating trust. In the case of competence, employees should expect to work for someone who knows what they’re doing. A lack of faith in an employer could cause workers to lose confidence in the company as a whole. It might also make the organization’s mission statement unclear, leading to inferior results and subpar productivity.

    Related: 4 Relationship Tips to Increase Employee Commitment and Loyalty

    As for commitment, the staff is more likely to be motivated if they see their leaders dedicated to the cause. They are also more likely to stick around for the long haul, which leads to higher retention rates. With consistency, employees count on a boss to show up and lead, regardless of the circumstances. Consistency helps people know what to expect and eliminates the chances of unforeseen hurdles. This dependability allows employees to plan better and stress less about unnecessary chaos.

    In terms of caring, people need to feel like they matter in the workplace. They want leaders who care about the organization and its people. That’s just one reason why benefit packages are so important. They communicate that a company cares for its employees. If you are a leader who breaks any of these guidelines, be upfront and honest with employees. Acknowledging your mistakes is another way to cultivate and build trust.

    2. Always be clear and direct

    Unclear instructions and feedback from leaders can significantly erode trust over time. Your staff wants leaders who practice proper communication skills. An employee could easily become stressed if they don’t have thoughtful and detailed instructions to follow. Don’t let the fear of micromanaging dissuade you from being hands-on if needed. It is your duty as a leader to set clear expectations and guidelines for your team.

    Related: Why Honesty and Integrity Really Do Matter

    Best-selling author and researcher Brene Brown’s quote, “clear is kind, unclear is unkind,” resonates in many areas, including work. For workplace projects, clear looks like painting a picture of what’s done will look like in the end. Before your team starts, detail what guidelines need to be hit for a task to be checked off. This keeps everyone on the same page and contributes to a higher quality of work.

    3. Don’t shy away from hard conversations

    Half of the managers cite difficult conversations as their biggest challenge as a leader. The need for navigating tough topics remains a reality, whether addressed by employers or not. Holding these conversations is a skill set that includes emotional intelligence, attention to detail, and an open mind. As a leader, you shouldn’t shy away from these important conversations just because they might be uncomfortable or difficult.

    Employees respect a boss that isn’t afraid to take on challenging discussions and issues, especially in today’s world. This type of leadership sets an example that others will want to follow. Avoiding these talks could subconsciously lead staff members to disrespect and lose trust in company leadership. Hard conversations are likely to come up amongst employees as well. If you and a member of your team need to talk things through, don’t be afraid to ask for help. Ask for support from a manager if you need it.

    4. Be intentional about feedback

    Regular feedback allows workers to possess a better understanding of their job performance and goals. Employees will know what they should keep doing and what approaches might need some alterations. Whether the feedback is positive or negative, it is imperative to be intentional with these conversations. Add your feedback to your Zoom Calendar before your Zoom meetings so you won’t forget. Looking for opportunities to praise employees nurtures a sense of trust and fulfillment.

    Related: How Entrepreneurs Can Use Effective Feedback to Stay Resilient and Agile

    Be constructive and straightforward if you’re discussing where an employee has room for improvement. These conversations don’t have to come with a sense of negativity. As long as leaders are respectful, a good employee will usually welcome the chance to work toward improvement. In addition, staff can build confidence in their leaders when they feel cared for and respected.

    5. Take an interest in the mental health of employees

    Leaders should take a genuine interest in the mental health of their employees. Showing care begins by promoting a healthy work-life balance for all staff. Managers can set an example in their own habits and hope the rest of the team will follow suit. Burnout employees significantly hinder productivity. Approximately 75% of companies struggle with overwhelmed employees, according to a report by Office Vibe. These conditions affect overall job performance and the well-being of workers.

    Employers should help spread awareness about the importance of mental health. Awareness includes organizing support groups for employees and cultivating a healthy work environment. It also means treating each and every employee with respect. Companies are encouraged to review their health insurance policies to ensure they properly cover mental health services. These resources enable employees to seek help from a mental health professional if needed more easily.

    6. Nurture an environment of open communication

    Leaders should strive to create an environment where everyone feels comfortable making their voices heard. Nurturing a supportive workplace is essential to an employee’s mental health. Workers feeling safe and supported can boost productivity and a sense of trust. This supportive atmosphere should extend through all areas of the workplace, including meetings and one-on-one conversations.

    Studies suggest that workers expect open communication and transparency from their leaders. Effective managers communicate with employees in several different ways. This could include listening to any suggestions or concerns and encouraging questions, and open feedback. Overall, it boils down to how comfortable and supported an employee feels at the office.

    7. Identify support systems

    Employees should know where they need to go for support when they want it. Support systems could come in the form of a designated team member or a reliable project management system. Ensuring these systems are strong and effective can significantly strengthen trust in the organizations over time.

    Related: How Your Leadership Skills Will Determine Your Company Culture

    A designated member of human resources assigned to each team can be a form of direct support. Building community connections is another way a business can thrive and make everyone feel supported. This is especially crucial if your team is remote. A company might also utilize productivity software to get their teams connected in a seamless way.

    Leading by example builds trust

    Trust is at the center of all good relationships inside and outside the workplace. Leaders who consistently cultivate trust in small and big ways are likely to see better results from staff. Companies nurture a more driven workforce when they care about the mental health of their employees and lead by example. Consistency is also vital to a thriving office environment. Trust in leaders takes a significant hit when promises are made but not kept.

    Managers shouldn’t shy away from tough conversations and work to cultivate an environment where everyone feels safe to speak up. In addition, employees that feel supported are more likely to stick with a job for the long run. All these factors help build a solid foundation of trust that sets a company up for success.

    ReadWrite.com

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  • 3 Ways to Unlock Your Team’s True Potential by Creating a Team of Leaders | Entrepreneur

    3 Ways to Unlock Your Team’s True Potential by Creating a Team of Leaders | Entrepreneur

    Opinions expressed by Entrepreneur contributors are their own.

    As a business owner or leader, you know that success comes from having a solid team. But what if you could take your team to the next level? What if you could go beyond a “Team with a leader” and create a “Team of leaders” that helps your business grow and pushes it to new heights?

    That’s the power of a team of leaders. In this article, we’ll explore what a team of leaders is and why it’s crucial for your business to jump the curve.

    What is a team of leaders, and why is it crucial for business success?

    A team of leaders is a group of ordinary people who learn to lead their own contribution and lead those who report to them — this includes those who have no one reporting to them. They lead their contribution to the organization, and they often lead customers or vendors too.

    This means using a power best practice of developing leaders throughout the organization — not just at the top. When a team of leaders is established, it can lead to significant increases in productivity, innovation and employee engagement.

    A team of leaders helps to distribute inventiveness, workload and responsibilities, allowing the business to operate more efficiently and effectively. This mechanism of unleashing a new culture of innovation and ownership causes team members to feel fully alive in their jobs. This translates to considerable gains in productivity and profitability.

    Related: How Successful Leaders Communicate With Their Teams

    The benefits of creating a high-performance team of leaders

    First, creating a high-performance team of leaders fosters a culture of collaboration and innovation, which can lead to new ideas and solutions. When each team member starts to think: “What would a great leader do in this situation?” leadership growth becomes part of the culture.

    When team members are taught how to take risks, reimagine processes, innovate and think for themselves, they are upgraded from workers to leaders. This concept creates a sense of ownership and accountability, which translates to increased engagement and motivation.

    Second, a team of leaders can help businesses stay ahead of the curve. By constantly seeking out new information and trends, they can anticipate changes in the market and adapt quickly. This can help the business to remain competitive and grow.

    Finally, a high-performance team of leaders can help to develop the next generation of leaders. By investing in leadership development, businesses can create a pipeline of talent ready to take on new challenges and opportunities.

    Jumping the curve is a concept that refers to businesses that can leapfrog their competitors by creating new products or services that are significantly better than what is currently available. A team of leaders is the best way to achieve it. When team members are trained to think as leaders, they can create new products or services that are disruptive and game-changing.

    Related: 5 Essential Things Employees Can Teach Leaders About Growth, Success and Happiness

    The characteristics of a power team and how to build one

    There are three keys to building a team of leaders. These three keys have to become part of the organization’s culture, which means it takes time. It is typical for these three keys to take 12-18 months to become institutionalized into the organization’s fabric.

    1. Weekly leadership training throughout the organization. This will not be achieved by an offsite meeting, a webinar or short-term training. Think of a block of ice that needs to become water. Culture is about small weekly training that raises the temperature slightly every week. After six months, change begins to set in, and that process will cause the ice to melt automatically. Keep it up for a few more months, and the water turns to steam. Focus on the process of small weekly changes, and the results will be automatic. These weekly training can be simple 30-minute sessions in which you begin to permit to work differently and provide practical tools to develop how they work. Introducing concepts like deep work or helping team members understand how you make money. It is inspiring to understand how their actions contribute to the bottom line.
    2. Normalizing the new behavior. The training needs to become the new way you do things. Raising expectations that everyone needs to participate because “This is our New Normal.”
    3. Creating a trust culture. This means a “no blame culture.” We know that when team members feel safe, their brain chemistry changes into the mode that allows them to be innovative and feel a sense of belonging. When they continue to fear the consequences of bad outcomes, their brain chemistry remains defensive, and they will not adopt the New Normal. Nothing will change.

    Related: Master These 5 Leadership Skills to Increase Your Results Tenfold

    The importance of trust in a team of leaders

    Trust takes time. Many leaders have broken the trust of their teams. In these cases, humility is the power option. Recently, I was in a meeting with a company’s leadership team, and the CEO said, “I want to take a moment to address a serious issue that has held us back as an organization. I have broken your professional trust. I apologize for that. We are all learning. We are creating a new 2.0 version of the company – as a team of leaders. I am still learning how to lead a team of leaders. This is new to me too.” This immediately impacted the team, and productivity and morale improved.

    To take the first step towards building a team of leaders, businesses should focus on weekly leadership development for the whole company and create a new 2.0 culture – the new normal.

    Dionne Van Zyl

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