John Packham
Running a business is tough work. Small business owners, especially, have a difficult time keeping up with the day-to-day requirements of running a business, while honing their craft, product, or service. Sometimes, building a team is necessary in order to help your business stabilize and grow. But when it comes to getting people onboard with your vision, it’s often a task that is easier said than done. Many people have opinions and expectations about your operation, so it’s important to figure out how to align what you want, with what others need as well; namely, your employees. Here’s how you can make it work.
Be Candid and Clear from the Beginning
Choosing your first employee or hiring your tenth is an exciting prospect. Regardless of the growth stage your business is in, you need to work to create congruity among your employees and your business. Just because someone agrees to take a job with your company doesn’t mean they agree to be aligned with your vision – you might think it does, but some people just need a job. While you should try to avoid these people at all costs – the ones who just need a job – you really can’t tell what you will get until you dig into things together and come out the other side.
Setting expectations about your vision and your business direction is key during this growth phase. If employees are not given clear direction about how they will help the company grow, they can’t get onboard with it. While many startups are willy-nilly and lack structure (albeit a fun place to work sometimes), that method of doing business can leave a bad taste in your employees’ mouths. It’s better to have some idea of where you want to go yourself so you can tell others how you need them to show up.
Consider Your Options
You might not have the funds to hire someone on a full-time basis or expand your team right now, but you know you need more help. There are a number of options you might consider as you continue to work to find people who can align with your vision and help you grow your company. For example, you might think about outsourcing your IT operations to a firm that can do the work without having to get investing in your company as an employee. While this might seem counterproductive, having another business buy into your business by way of contract provides a great deal of assurance and confidence for small business owners who know that their contractors are going to provide a stellar service and get the job done.
A consultation meeting and open lines of communication help your contractor to understand what you need and to build the best options to grow your business. You get the same result – your company grows – but you don’t have to put in the effort of trying to get someone to align with your vision.
Schedule Regular Check-ins
As part of the ongoing process of building and growing your company, you’ll need to ensure you are having regular check-ins with your employees. This accomplishes several things. First, it helps your employees to see that you are invested in them and their contributions to the company. Second, it helps them continually realign the new information and vision for the company with their own expectations; and third, it provides an opportunity to problem solve together, create a new cohesive vision that is inclusive of new and existing employees, and provides everyone with a chance to ensure that they are still on board, need a change, or have to slow down.
Grooming a team to align themselves with your vision is not always difficult in the beginning because people are excited about the new opportunities and a chance to show off their skills. However, as time goes on, that enthusiasm will be replaced with workloads, deadlines, and managers. Try as you might, someone has to be in charge of your employees and whether or not it’s you will have a big impact on their buy-in for your products and services. Even if you have levels and levels of management between you and your employees, it’s always a best practice to check in and make sure everyone is on the same page and working toward the collective goals of the company.
Whatever industry with which you work, always strive to provide the best experience for your customers through a cohesive and aligned workforce. It can take time, energy, and even money to build such a team, but in the end, you’ll be glad you put in the effort to align your vision with your employees’ expectations.
