As a start-up, there are many factors that contribute to the sustainability and success of the business. Opportunities, funding as well as a strong team are some of imperatives that are critical to the longevity of a start-up. However, regardless of whether the business is in a start-up phase or large multinational, a strong team forms the core of any organisation. A strong and engaged team can result in new ideas and new products through a leaders spotlight methods. A strong team, together with a strong leader helps to drive the business towards a common objective.
In building an engaged team, the key is to recognise them for their efforts and contributions. While there are plenty of ways in which organisations can appreciate their employees, a popular form of recognition as highlighted by Emplify is the employee spotlight.
Here are start-up milestones in which businesses can look at spotlighting their team this 2022.
Transitioning from founder to leader
Most startups begin with one or two founders. At the initial stages, it is common for the founders to be involved in the long term strategy planning as well as the daily operational execution. Over time, this role will change. Founders need to recognise the stage in which the organisation is in and adapt their roles accordingly. Do they want to continue being involved in strategic planning? Are they intending to pass the reins onto another person with extensive corporate experience? Either way, founders need to step back, let go, trust the team, give them autonomy and let employees be the best out of themselves.
Build trust
Once your employees are comfortable to make their own decisions independently, encourage them to think out of the box. This simple action shows that business leaders are mature and comfortable enough to trust that employees will make decisions that are in the best interest of the company. While it is human to err, it is only through the victories and challenges that a business learns and grows.
Long-term scalability
As business leaders, long-term growth and scalability is key. While sound business decisions and calculated risks are key imperatives, a strong team is also a critical success factor. On the journey to building a scalable and sustainable business, it is important to share responsibility with the team. Focus on spotlighting the team – this way of recognition makes a great internal recognition initiative and serves as a compelling employer branding strategy too.
Create collaboration goals
Goals should be clearly defined and communicated at the very start of any business. Outlining goals requires extra time and planning, but it pays off eventually. For the best results, employees and teams need to set individual as well as team goals. The SMART (Specific, Measurable, Achievable, Realistic, and Timeline) goal-setting framework ensures that employees and teams are able to clearly understand their goals and how to work towards them. These SMART goals also need to be reviewed from time to time to ensure employees and teams are on track to achieving them.
Celebrate successes
Always spotlight good ideas or accomplished goals from your employees. Share the team’s successes with the rest of the team members or organisation. Show them support and reward them fairly. A simple “thank you” note or token can go a long way in appreciating employees’ for their efforts and times. For big wins, ensure that the success is celebrated with the entire team and organisation.
An engaged workforce forms a cornerstone of any successful organisation. The management team focuses on the “how” of doing things – the technicality, planning, processing and organisation. The leadership team focuses on the “why” – engaging people by connecting business objectives to the larger mission and thinking long-term beyond the present. The underlying message is simple. In order for the organisation to grow, evolve, and reach new heights, there needs to be a time to hand the reins over to the team and spotlight the team.
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