22 Jan
Team Management

What Does it Cost When You Don’t Onboard Your Team Properly

Many make this misnomer that proper onboarding means a detailed orientation; instead, it focuses on employees’ success and productivity. As a business owner, the continuous review and development of your team is a prerequisite for success. But what does it cost when you don’t onboard your team correctly?

Team Development

Team development is crucial in ensuring the efficiency and improved productivity of your team. If your team isn’t well developed, you will find your workforce operating far below its full potential.

It is one thing to know the benefits of team development and identifies it as a necessity. However, knowing how to go about developing your team is even more critical. Without proper knowledge of organizing and implementing your team’s development, you might end up wasting your team’s time rather than improving cooperation and attaining synergy.

Stages of Team Development

The first thing to note about team development is that there are stages. Identifying the stage your team currently occupies, and the next step in your team’s progress would give the process of your team’s development focus and direction. As an entrepreneur, you are the captain of your team. Therefore, knowing your team’s roadmap and destination is necessary for taking your team to greater heights.

Team development is known as the effective process of learning to work together. According to Bruce Tuckman, an educational psychologist, there are five stages of team development, namely:

Forming

Forming is the first stage in team development. Here team members are just getting to know each other; This is when the team members find out their roles and other team members’ roles. During the stage, your team’s basic structure is developed; This is crucial in your team’s development. It would be best if you orientate your team regarding their duties and how they fit in with the responsibilities of other team members.

This is also your first time of proving yourself as a competent leader. This stage requires you to convince every team member that you have a plan and their careers are in good hands. If you are working with an old team, then a structure would have been established. In a situation whereby your team’s structure isn’t optimum for productivity, you might have to go back to this stage and make some necessary reforms.

Storming

Storming is the second stage of team development. In this stage, your conflict resolution skills as a leader would be put to the test. This stage is filled with conflict and competition. The initial politeness fades, and your team members reveal their real personalities. This stage is quite problematic, and in most cases, production is greatly affected negatively. It is your job to ensure that no conflict or clash goes unresolved or unaddressed. Seeds of discord that lead to long term damage in the team are sown at this stage. Failure to address disagreements at this stage would stunt the growth and development of your team. Most business owners find it challenging to handle this stage of team development. However, once you cross this stage, your team would develop at a fast pace.

Norming

This stage involves your teammates adjusting to their roles. Unity and cohesion begin to emerge as team members find it easy to corporate. They are familiar with their roles as well as the personalities of their team members. However, this isn’t a guarantee of peace and progress. The norming stage is a stage of fragile peace and unity. Now and then, little spats might spring up, and old conflicts might reemerge. It is important to note that the norming stage is not a guarantee that a team cannot fall back to the storming stage. The norming stage marks the beginning of synergy. However, this fragile stage must be protected and guided with care and intention.

Performing

At this stage, you have finally developed your team into the dream team. Production is at its peak, and cooperation is smooth and seamless. Few issues might arise, but at this stage, your team has developed simple conflict resolution strategies. All efforts of your team members are geared towards the success of the firm. Productivity and efficiency are rarely affected by distractions and conflict.

Adjourning

This isn’t a stage in the usual sense of the word. We can tag the adjourning stage as the review stage. There should be a scheduled meeting in which the team’s progress is evaluated; This usually entails acknowledging the team’s progress and awarding praises to team members that had performed exceptionally well. This is also the perfect time to discuss ways to move the team forward and new strategies for further development. The Adjourning stage is necessary to keep your team performing at optimum. Neglecting this stage could lead to your team slipping back into a state of chaos and storm.

New Hire Onboarding Digital Tool

New Hire Onboarding

Conclusion

Team development is a continuous process that requires constant and intentional effort. Properly developing your team ensures that your team members work at optimum capacity while enjoying happiness and fulfillment in their careers.

customer onboarding
25 Nov
Entrepreneurship, Grow Your Business

Webinar: Customer Onboarding After the Sale

This webinar Customer Onboarding After the Sale will maximize your customers’ success, satisfaction, and retention with an exceptional post-purchase plan. The strategy taught in this webinar will give you the tools to welcome your new customer.

There are two reasons your clients decide not to stay after purchase. And you want to be prepared for both. Firstly, the customer doesn’t see the value in what they purchased. Secondly, the customer doesn’t understand your product or service. As such, you will create a post-purchase system to ensure customer satisfaction and successful product use.

AFTER THE SALE

Your customer wants to hear what you have to say. After all, they made the purchase. During the event, you will create content to ensure your customers achieve their desired results with your products and services. You will also outline the automated components of your post-purchase system. Your host, Coach Allison Todd, will guide you through each module.

  • Plan the Post-Purchase Experience
  • Set Up the First 30 Days
  • Create the Process for the Next Month & Beyond

WEBINAR TAKEAWAYS

During this webinar, you will get the tools and content needed to create your post-purchase process. From start to finish, this framework guides you through the planning and implementation of your customer onboarding process. Plus, all registrants receive a free download of the 3-Step Customer Onboarding Checklist. Tell your customers what to expect up front.

  • Understand the value and necessity of having a structured customer onboarding process to aid in customer retention and future sales
  • A step-by-step process for developing a customer onboarding program
  • Identify the key customer components that motivate future sales

ABOUT COACH

Allison Todd helps micropreneurs scale their teams and their profits through operations and digital marketing strategies. She is an accomplished executive with more than 20 years invested in managing businesses, building brands, and coaching executives. As a result, her work includes a variety of consulting services such as sales, team development, digital marketing, and executive coaching.

CUSTOMER ONBOARDING AFTER THE SALE CHEATSHEET
Customer-Onboarding-After-the-Sale-Cheat-Sheet
22 Jul
Team Management

Building the Perfect Team

Why is it that some businesses have the the perfect team and others can’t seem to keep the team together? Many CEOs want the perfect formula for the perfect team. And truth is there is no definite design to building the perfect team. But leadership, communication, business resources and collaboration are core components. The perfect team goes a long way in deciding the direction and the growth rate of your business for a building entrepreneur.

Business Direction

First, let’s consider the business direction. People who you choose to join your team will have a reasonable influence on your decisions. The perfect team member is invested in their role and your business. They are open to both understanding and collaborating with their team members. As such your business direction is fuel by essentials of a perfect team. On the contrary, a bad team can lead you down a wrong path, leaving you lost in your business searching for sales. However, a good team would work tirelessly to show you new and better ways to take your business to where it needs to be. Therefore, choosing the perfect team is important.

Business Growth

Next is business growth. The reliability and proficiency of your team determines how fast your business grows. When you assert group norms that allow your team to work efficiently, you create standards by which they work. When you are trying to build a business to great heights and expand at an exponential rate, the ability to think outside the box is very valuable. And that can not happen without a strong foundation. No CEO wants a team of drones but rather a team of diligent innovators and freethinkers.

In conclusion, building the perfect team shouldn’t be based solely on their education and certification. Qualification is good, however, some other factors need to be considered. The goal is to build a team that isn’t just competent but also in sync with your business vision and values. Getting the perfect team isn’t an easy task as a mere interview might not reveal all the qualities you are looking for in a team member. However, with patience and due diligence, you can create your perfect squad.

05 Jul
Team Management

Onboarding Tips: Team Integration Made Easy

The process of integrating new staff into the everyday workings of your business can be a bit tricky. With your employees managing their roles and responsibilities that keep your business running smoothly, new team members can begin to feel lost and alone. Here are a few tips on how to integrate your new team without disrupting the day to day running of your business.

Simplify Onboarding

The first day for any new team member is usually a roller coaster. The first day is often an uneven balance of retaining information, remaining professional and asking the “right” questions. A new employee can get a bit intimidated by all of the information, processes and people. The best way to avoid this is to make all necessary information available to your new employee before they begin their first day of work. Merely telling them about their position isn’t enough to ensure that your recruits hit the ground running.

Your recruits need to have a detailed understanding of their roles and responsibilities. This includes sharing information about their direct report, team members, benefits, work expectations and more. Don’t throw your new team member into their work without sharing more about where they are working and who they are working with. I like to use a digital onboarding system that notifies me when documents are opened, reviewed, completed and/or signed. The convenience of completing this via email also provides an opportunity to review at your leisure. Before the work day, of course. This way recruits resume their first day feeling ready and confident to get some work done.

Create a Mentor-Mentee Program

A simple way to help your new new team adjust to their new work environment is to set them up with a mentor, their “go to person”. This can be the business owner, their direct report or a senior team member. Two or more mentors is not a bad idea as it allows your team member to choose a mentor who resonates with them.

 The main goal is to ensure the new team member feels free to ask questions and make clarification without being judged. Creating a good working atmosphere goes a long way in ensuring that your new employees are effective and enjoy a good work experience.

Leverage the Internet

The internet provides a lot of programs to educate, train and certify your team. It basically creates a virtual office for you and your workforce. For instance productivity software is at the top of the list of these programs. Instead of waiting for your recruit to submit misguided results, keep track of their work to ensure you can correct their mistakes before they make them.

Conclusion

The first few weeks of your new employee’s work experience is essential. Proper handling of these integration and adjustment period is very crucial in the progress of your team. Your ability to retain the best employees ensures the greatest results. The best way to create an effective onboarding process is to invest the time in the planning and creating of the system.