How to Build an Exceptional Team (and a Positive Workplace Culture)

How to Build an Exceptional Team (and a Positive Workplace Culture)

How to Build an Exceptional Team (and a Positive Workplace Culture)

Hiring and talent growth are two of the most important pieces to grow an exceptional workplace culture over time. Here’s what to look for as you work towards a healthier corporate vibe.

Managing a workforce is significantly easier when you have a healthy and productive internal workplace culture. An exceptional team culture can also help with attracting customers, hiring impactful talent, and bringing the right investors and leadership to your business. Workplace culture can be a major key to unlocking productivity, longevity, and success for any business.

While specific office culture expectations may be dependent on the type of industry that you’re in, there are definitely some patterns that can be seen across all workplaces. Here are some places that you can get started to build a better corporate team.

Sharing Responsibility is Key (Learn to Delegate)

Leadership should always remember that the ultimate aim of the game in business is to delegate. Sharing responsibility with your employees is one of the most important pieces to building a healthy corporate culture. By properly delegating, employees are able to best use their skills and talent to push the business forward.

Relying on delegation as a management tactic also forces you to grow your team in ways that will best help the business at the time that you’re growing. For example, if you delegate payroll and invoicing duties to a new employee you will require a specific skill set to complete that labor. This natural growth through recognizing business needs allows leaders to better use their time for sales, strategy, oversight, and growth.

Being cognizant and self-aware is one of the most important parts of delegation. What can you handle best? What can your team members handle best? What are your current gaps in service? How can you improve those gaps over time? This is all part of big-picture delegation and corporate culture development over time.

Hire for Values (and Ability)

In North America, a majority of employees believe that culture is just as (or more) important than a company’s strategy or its operations. New hires should match your corporate values and should possess some demonstration of ability. It’s not necessarily about hard skills during the hiring process – get deeper than what you see on the resume. Get to know who your potential candidate is as a person and try to determine what their work ethic is like.

Does your candidate seem able and capable? Are they like-minded to yourself and your values? Do they provide insight or opinions that excite you? Is the candidate genuinely enthusiastic? All of these questions can help you find talent that is better aligned with your pursuit of growing a healthy corporate culture.

Provide a Great Onboarding Experience

Part of building the right corporate culture is starting where it counts with new hires. Designing a course that spans days or weeks can be a great way to help onboard new employees to ensure they feel comfortable in a vulnerable time.

During onboarding, new hires should meet the other coworkers that their job may be impacted by. New employees should also be well-trained on all tasks, programs, processes, and software that they need to know to complete their job. Demonstrating a bold dedication to employees’ professional development can win major points in your battle for better corporate culture. Provide support without question when it is needed.

It’s time to start hiring for better corporate culture!

As you continue on your path of leadership, don’t let corporate culture fall by the wayside. Employee retention, investor attraction, and customer satisfaction all rely on healthy corporate culture. Try some of these tactics during your hiring process and you may find that your business can soar to new heights!

We would love to hear from you. Please contact us today!

Have you taken a look at our new book? Check it out today!

Click here to order on Amazon or to read more.

We would love to hear your comments.

Gary Brunson
gary@myclearfocus.com

Debra Rider
debra@myclearfocus.com

574.361.2674

Sustainable Growth & Profit Consultant, Coach, Mentor and Counselor/Therapist for Business Owners and Professionals.

Business Trends you Need to Know as a Small Business Owner

Business Trends you Need to Know as a Small Business Owner

Business Trends you Need to Know as a Small Business Owner

There are five big trends forecasted this year that may alter the small business landscape. Here’s what you should be thinking of as you implement your strategic plan…

The early months of the year are the best time to plan your annual business outlook. This is the perfect time to determine where your challenges and opportunities lie. A “big picture” vision can also allow you to budget according to your marketing strategies and how you foresee your business moving through the year.

It may be easy to get caught up in the minutiae of the daily operations but small business owners owe it to themselves to take time to think about the year ahead. This is especially true facing a potential economic downturn and at a time when staff tensions are high regarding wages, cost-of-living, and inflation.

Taking the time to be mindful about the year ahead is important. Here are 5 trends that you should consider moving into this year and beyond as a small business owner.

TREND 1: Plan for the Economic Forecast

Economists and business professionals alike are anticipating an economic downturn throughout 2023. This could cause a chill with customers and investors. As a small business owner, it’s important to build in a plan that can help you weather the storm. Prioritize marketing goods or services that you believe can be strong through a recession. Invest in equipment and technology when you need it – but don’t overdo it.

Cut back on unnecessary spending and maintain transparent communication with your employees and current investors. Consider increasing your marketing budget in certain areas and cutting in others. It would be wise to double down on the marketing investments that make sense.

Finally, don’t forget to measure your success over time. As an economic downturn is occurring, it’s important to be ready to pivot at a moment’s notice. Keep a close eye on your performance, KPIs, and other data that can help you make the most informed decisions possible as a small business owner.

TREND 2: Big Picture Visioning

It can be easy to slip into a routine of daily tasks as a business owner. Keeping your head above water on a daily basis can be hard. The new year is a great time to force yourself to take a “big picture” assessment of your business. Approach your resolutions for the business like goals and stick to them over time.

TREND 3: Stay Up-to-Date on Technology and Processes

While an overhaul on the technological and process front can take time and money – it’s usually worth it for the efficiency returns. Those who stay nimble and pivot in terms of processes stand to gain the most in turbulent economic times. Maintaining an updated technology network can also spell success with regard to the future outlook of your business.

There are some things that may be easier to incorporate into your business than others. Small business owners should consider automated payroll, better HR services or platforms, cashless payment methods, customer relationship management (CRM) systems like Hubspot, project management software, and enhanced cybersecurity methods. These are all fairly easy technologies to implement and can result in massive returns over time for both corporate culture and your business’s bottom line.

Don’t just invest in these strategies without measuring the results. Be sure to monitor how new processes or tech are impacting your business and don’t be afraid to pivot.

TREND 4: Find a Community or Mentors

Explore organizations or mentors within your industry that you may be able to lean on for advice. Intentionally creating a community of like-minded small business owners around you can make the challenges seem less daunting. You may also be able to find support through social media communities.

TREND 5: Hiring Practices and Talent Retention is Key!

Hiring for the long-term is important as the economy may take a turn for the worst. Having employees that you can trust both in the workplace and beyond has immeasurable value on your mental health as a business owner. Hiring aside, focus on talent retention to ensure that employees aren’t leaving for “greener pastures” during challenging times. Hire, train, and retain those who are confident in the face of adversity and difficult times.

We would love to hear your comments about these trends. Contact us today.

Have you taken a look at our new book? Check it out today!

Click here to order on Amazon or to read more.

We would love to hear your comments.

Gary Brunson
gary@myclearfocus.com

Debra Rider
debra@myclearfocus.com

574.361.2674

Sustainable Growth & Profit Consultant, Coach, Mentor and Counselor/Therapist for Business Owners and Professionals.

What Are Your Social Media Efforts Doing for Your Business?

Social Media Analytics: What Are Your Social Media Efforts Doing for Your Business?

A few quick questions about your social media: What data do you focus on for determining Twitter ROI? Facebook? Where do you go to find that information? Our BOSS webinar will guide you through which data to drill down on and where it lives.

We will demonstrate how to use:

  • Google Analytics
  • Facebook Insights
  • Twitter
  • Other resources for monitoring and reporting

Watch now, free and on-demand at The Alternative Board (TAB).

https://www.thealternativeboard.com/webinar/social-media-analytics

We would love to hear from you. Please contact us today!

Have you taken a look at our new book? Check it out today!

Click here to order on Amazon or to read more.

We would love to hear your comments.

Gary Brunson
gary@myclearfocus.com

Debra Rider
debra@myclearfocus.com

574.361.2674

Sustainable Growth & Profit Consultant, Coach, Mentor and Counselor/Therapist for Business Owners and Professionals.

3 Technology Hacks to Improve Workplace Productivity

Technology affords us so many amazing opportunities. But technology can also be a vehicle for time-wasting activities. And cell phones are surely one of our biggest distractions. When we are on our devices, it is easy to get sidetracked and be unproductive.

But here’s the paradox. That little time waster in your hand also may contain the solutions to move you back to productivity. There are so many time and productivity apps at your disposal, so much so that it can be overwhelming to find the one that best suits your needs.

We asked three TAB members to take the guesswork out for you, and they came up with simple tools to improve productivity. Read about their productivity tips in this article titled “3 Technology Hacks to Improve Workplace Productivity.” Only at The Alternative Board (TAB).

https://www.thealternativeboard.com/blog/3-technology-hacks-to-improve-workplace-productivity

We would love to hear from you. Please contact us today!

Have you taken a look at our new book? Check it out today!

Click here to order on Amazon or to read more.

We would love to hear your comments.

Gary Brunson
gary@myclearfocus.com

Debra Rider
debra@myclearfocus.com

574.361.2674

Sustainable Growth & Profit Consultant, Coach, Mentor and Counselor/Therapist for Business Owners and Professionals.

Take Time to Chill Out – Really!

Long weekends and holidays are worth their weight in gold for overextended business owners. When faced with a little time off, many owners still have a hard time disengaging from the seemingly ceaseless business of running a business.

But short breaks provide business owners with the invaluable gifts of rest, rejuvenation, and reflection. And by taking this time to unwind and enjoy life beyond the business, they return to the office more productive, creative and mentally healthy.

We hope you take time to lean in this holiday week. Don’t worry, your business will be there when you get back.

Read “Take Time to Chill Out – Really!” at The Alternative Board.

https://www.thealternativeboard.com/blog/take-time-to-chill-out-really

We would love to hear from you. Please contact us today!

#tabboards #businesscoaching #wellbeing #mentalhealth

Have you taken a look at our new book? Check it out today!

Click here to order on Amazon or to read more.

We would love to hear your comments.

Gary Brunson
gary@myclearfocus.com

Debra Rider
debra@myclearfocus.com

574.361.2674

Sustainable Growth & Profit Consultant, Coach, Mentor and Counselor/Therapist for Business Owners and Professionals.

Organize By Priority

Organize By Priority

A time management skill to help you be more productive

Start the new New Year off on the right foot and get in the habit of organizing and prioritizing your day. You will become more productive. This is a proven simple way to save time, be organized, and increase productivity.

Before leaving the office for the day, or first thing the next morning, make a list of everything that needs to be done. Next, prioritize your list.

Give each one an A, B, C, D, or E priority mark.

A – Must be done first – very important. Serious consequences if you do not get it done. Often this is a task you don’t want to do and have procrastinated to get done. Think about the sense of accomplishment you will have once it is complete. In addition, you get to check it off your list.

B – A ‘should do’ task with mild consequences. (Never do a B task before A tasks are done)

C – Nice to do, but no consequences whether you do it or not. Has little or no effect on your work life. (Most people spend half of their time here)

D – Something you can delegate. This frees up your time to work on the A tasks.

E – Eliminate all together and it makes absolutely no difference. It may have been a higher priority task previously but is no longer important.

Remember, not everything has to be done today. However, if you have several A tasks, give them a priority too. A1, A2, A3, etc… A1 being the most important and the task you should tackle first.

Practice discipline and start working on your A tasks right away.

We would love to hear your comments. Please contact us today!

Have you taken a look at our new book? Check it out today!

Click here to order on Amazon or to read more.

Gary Brunson
gary@myclearfocus.com

Debra Rider
debra@myclearfocus.com

574.361.2674

Sustainable Growth & Profit Consultant, Coach, Mentor, and Counselor/Therapist for Business Owners and Professionals.