Getting your staff to care about your core business principles is a huge step towards success. Think of your business as an athletic team, every player must be on the same page and want to obtain the same goal. One bad player can throw an entire team astray.

Think about what you want out of your team and how their skills can get your business to where it needs to be.

Practice positive reinforcement and throw out the Evil Boss persona.  Take a step back and think about how you talk to your staff. Are you giving positive reinforcement or just reprimanding them for little mistakes? You have to remember that your staff is human too and when under duress, mistakes tend to happen more often.

  • If an employee makes a small mistake take him or her aside and talk about how to avoid the mistake in the future. Procedure manuals can help if it is a repetitive job or task.
  • Remember, when a staff member does something good, point it out, no need for huge amounts of praise or showering of gifts, just a job well done.

Even when your business is profitable, does it go the extra distance and succeed? Building a team that works well together is vital in any aspect of a business. Team members give credit to the team and not a single player. Make sure your staff remembers that without each and every one of them, your business would not have gotten to where it is now.

If you have a member that is not a “team member”, let them go. You are only as good as your weakest link.  Have a Core Values meeting and discuss where you would like to see your business in one year.

  • How are you getting there?
  • How will your staff help you achieve these goals?
  • Don’t just tell your team what you want, help them understand and give input into your business values and principles.

Print out your Core Values and POST them. Seeing the post everyday will remind your players that they helped bring these values to life and at the same time, give a sense of pride in their team.