Why Teams Work Better in Business

Many small businesses under-perform for a number of different reasons, mostly because business is just simply hard and complicated.  Running a business is one of the most challenging activities a person can partake in.  On a daily basis, business owners must manage money, employees, clients, products/services, schedules and a number of unpredictable scenarios that can weigh down even the most tenacious of characters.

In order for a business to be successful, it must have a good leader.  Good leaders recognize that they cannot be proficient in every aspect of their business.  Even people who run a one-man operation know that there are certain things they do better than others.  When a company can operate with the guidance of a team, the outcome is often different than the business owner who makes all of the decisions alone.

When establishing a team, first determine what your strengths and weaknesses are.  As a business owner, you may have had to perform multiple tasks in every area of your business at some point but think about the areas that you are most proficient in.  For example, are you a numbers, operations or sales person?  As you chose other members of your team, pick people within your staff who may have strengths you don’t have or that compliment your weaknesses. 

There should always be a team leader.  All other team members should have their own role. Some team members might be better at coming up with good ideas while others might be better at executing them.  One member might be better at research while another is good at making presentations.  Determine what qualities you want your team to have and chose people who have those qualities.  Then let them know what their specific role will be within the team.

Generally, smaller teams are more manageable and therefore more effective.  There’s no magic number but a team that’s too big could lose its purpose.  Team meetings are typically effective brainstorming sessions; as multiple brains tend to be better than one.  A team can be used to manage a particular project, department or the entire company.  Teamwork is important because it creates synergy, generates ideas, encourages collaboration, reinforces support, enhances troubleshooting, promotes efficiency, fosters development and maximizes success.

For more information on how the development of teams can contribute to the success of your company, please contact Ashlar Consulting Corporation at 305-849-9399 or visit www.AshlarConsultingCorp.com.