How to Ensure Your Team Gets What They Need to Reach Their Goals

If you want your team to support you, you need to support them first. Check out how to help your team so they can work towards achieving mutual objectives.

In business, it’s all about having a good team. Teamwork makes the dream work, as they say.

And as a business owner, I understand that I can’t have high expectations of my team if I don’t give them everything they need to achieve their goals.

I’ll explain to you what this means using my own example.

We’ve got a great team that’s been helping us out with sales for a while. For us, the most important is to check in with them a few times a day. Only then can we relax and know that everything is going well.

I always ask my team: Do you have everything you need? If the answer is positive, I can relax because I know I’ve provided them with everything they need to complete their tasks. 

At this moment, do you and your team have everything you need to succeed? This is one of the most important questions you should ask yourself every week.

Because if you can safely say yes, you can relax, safe in the knowledge that you’ve done everything to make sure your team can achieve what they need to achieve.

In this article, we’ll explain why support is so important and how it can be a game-changer for your business.

It’s All About Support

I can’t stress enough the importance of teamwork and support no matter how large your accounting company is. For me, it doesn’t matter whether you have many employees or only one person that’s helping you out. 

Even if you have freelancers or independent contractors helping you with design or social media posts, they’re part of your team. They’re people who are helping you and your business and you should think of them as part of a team.

Your goal as a business owner is to make sure that each team member has everything they need to achieve their goals. Because if they don’t, it could negatively affect your business. It could prevent your company from reaching its quarterly goals, for example.

Teamwork is a two-way street. You’re there to support each other. Only if both parties do their role can the team be functional and achieve great results. 

Be honest with yourself and answer this question. Do you feel that your team is not supporting you in the way you want them to?

Nothing makes us happier than when a team member calls and says, “I have everything I need to reach my goals this week.” Because that means we’re going in the right direction. We’re working towards our goals and members have everything they need to reach them. 

Team members won’t always tell you they don’t have everything they need. But if they don’t sound confident or they start to panic when they get a new task, it could mean they don’t have all the resources they need. And that’s not entirely their responsibility. It could be your responsibility as well.

If they have anything missing to accomplish their tasks, it falls on you because it is your responsibility to look after your team. Just like you’d look after your family, make sure they have everything they need to achieve their goals.

Of course, before you can solve a problem, your job is to find out what’s missing. You have to work out what is that gap that’s preventing you from reaching your goals.

If you’re not sure what the problem is, you should be transparent and ask your team. Something that’s missing could be something that’s really easy to solve, but you just haven’t noticed it before. All it takes is to ask them and listen to their answers.

Maybe your team is missing training or learning sessions. Perhaps they don’t have the right mindset or need some motivation. It could be time management, it could be support – it could really be anything.

Finally, before you can help anyone else, don’t forget to check whether you have everything that you need as well. You first have to make sure you’re okay. 

Do you have everything you need to achieve your goals? If not, figure out what you’re missing. Maybe what you’re missing is a holiday? It may be as simple as that. A holiday could help you clear your mind and return with fresh ideas and more energy.

When you have everything you need, only then will you be able to help your team, your family, and your friends.

How to Make Sure Your Team Has What They Need

Here are five tips that could help you manage your team more effectively.

Know Your People’s Ambitions

How well do you know your team? Do you know what makes them get up every morning and come to work? What are their goals and career ambitions? 

Understanding these things could help you create a win-win situation.

You could give them an opportunity to improve the skills they want to improve or work on a project they find interesting. Or, you could give them an opportunity to learn and move forward within your company. Maybe you’ll discover a different role for them that your company actually needed.

Do you have a team member who is into teaching or perhaps marketing? You could get them to train other employees if that’s what they like doing. Or, you could give them an opportunity to polish their marketing skills by taking a course, from which the whole firm could benefit.

Small changes like these can boost the motivation and satisfaction of your team members.

Become an Excellent Communicator

Communication skills are essential for everyone who is working in a team. However, they could be even more important for business owners and team leaders like you.

Remember that you’re the one who is setting an example for the rest of the team. If you don’t communicate openly, chances are the team won’t be comfortable to communicate openly with you.

We know that our team can’t read our mind. That’s why we make sure that we communicate with them regularly and give them all the information they need.

You need to do the same.

This skill alone can not only help you build a strong team that supports each other but also avoid any potential issues.

Foster a Culture of Unity

Remember that everyone on your team is important, no matter the role. And the only way to achieve your goals is by collaborating and helping each other. No one would be able to do it alone.

If you want to build a VITAL accounting firm, it all starts with having a good team. 

How could clients perceive you as VITAL if you have problems within the team?

You have to stand as one because only then will you have all the resources needed to solve your client’s problems. 

A company needs to foster a culture of unity in the workplace on a daily basis. So even though you may all be living in different towns, it’s important that you communicate regularly.

Team building sessions and celebrations can also help you learn more about each other and work smoothly together. So, think about organising a team event that would connect all of you even better.

If you don’t have a culture of unity yet, now is the time to change that.

Offer Praise Frequently

The quickest way to motivate your team members is not about giving them a raise or a promotion. Although that would be nice if they deserve it. It’s really something much simpler… 

Praise them for everything they do well.

You shouldn’t take anything for granted. Your people are working hard to provide results, so you should show that you notice it and appreciate it. Keep in mind that the most common reason people leave companies is because they feel their employers don’t appreciate them.

How can they know they’re doing good work if you never acknowledge them? 

If you don’t have a habit of thanking your employees and acknowledging their work, you may want to start building that habit.

For even better results, you should praise your employees publicly. Why?

First, they’ll be super proud (even if some of them won’t admit it). Second, by praising someone publicly, you’re likely to model that positive behaviour in the future.

It can have a domino effect.

Listen to Your Team’s Feedback

It’s essential to give your team an opportunity to provide you with feedback. And when they do, don’t ignore it even if you’re not exactly thrilled with it. 

As a business owner, your duty is to create a culture where team members are not afraid to speak openly. Encourage them to share their feedback, positive or negative.

Their feedback may contain valuable insights that could help improve your business.

Your employees may notice things that you’re too busy to notice. It may even be the sort of things that could be game-changers to take your company to the next level.

It’s a win-win situation. You may get an idea that could help improve your business, and the team member will feel like their ideas matter.

With the Right Support, Everything’s Possible

Before you can expect results from your team, you have to make sure they have everything they need to achieve their goals. Remember that at the end of the day, their goals are also your company’s goals.

When the team has everything they need, they can keep doing great work and you can relax.

But you have to support your team first if you want them to support you. Support is a two-way street and it’s all about communication.

If you apply these tips, you can change your team’s culture. And this will lead to you growing your business and achieving big goals together.