The Team Building Mistakes That Small Business Owners Make

Trying to develop a roster of talented employees is a challenge for even the most capable small business owners. From worrying about turnover to ensuring that staff members are able to utilize their talents properly, managing a diverse range of employees can be a challenge. To ensure that this happens successfully, take care to avoid these common team building mistakes.

Interacting with all employees in the same way.

Managers need to take into account how personality and experience impact an individual. Interacting with all employees in exactly the same manner simply isn’t an effective management technique. People learn in different ways and respond to different types of coaching. Make it a point to learn about your employees’ unique preferences, and respect these wishes.

Failing to set goals.

In order to keep your team motivated, you need to set both short and long-term goals that everyone in your office is working to achieve. Instead of coming into work each day and waiting for the clock to hit 5 p.m., these goals enable your employees to feel as if they’re working towards a bigger purpose. It also helps when you want to track progress, as the results are easily measurable.

Failing to seem approachable.

When you run a small business, you need to be accessible to your employees. They should feel comfortable coming to you with questions, concerns, or general feedback. The minute you come across as inaccessible, you create an unhealthy disconnect in your office.

Forgetting to delegate.

Many small business owners struggle to delegate properly, and end up burning themselves out as a result. You’ve hired your employees for a reason. Make sure you give them the opportunity to do their jobs. Trying to handle every task on your own is a recipe for disaster.

Forgetting to praise positive performance.

Offering criticism is a necessary part of a manager’s job, however it’s important not to forget the positive praise side of things too. If you’re bringing attention to mistakes, you also need to offer praise when an employee does an exceptional job. Don’t get so overwhelmed with day-to-day tasks that you forget about this.

Setting regular meeting times with your team is another important part of keeping any small business running smoothly. These sessions allow employees and management to work through possible problems before they become major issues, ensuring everyone is on the same page.

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How do you keep your small business’s team strong? Share with us in the comments!