With Father’s Day in June reminding us all of our own Dads and the role that they play in our lives, we thought we’d take a look at those who take on that role in the office. Every business has somebody whose job it is to take the mantle and guide the team, but it’s not an easy task. Here are our tips for better nurturing that all important office culture and creating a tightly-knit team.
Show What The Future Looks Like
Most people in an office really want a leader, whether they know it or not. You see a lot of business leaders keeping their goals for the future of the business close to their chest, even from their own employees. How is a team going to know what to aim for if their leader is keeping them in the dark about the business’s future?
Taking time out of your month to schedule small meetings with your team to let them know about the company’s direction and its aims is going to motivate them. It helps team members feel like an important part of something that’s moving forward, and increases the importance of their responsibility in achieving that plan.
Set Goals
In ‘Release Your Brakes’, one of the best self-help books ever written, Jim Newman says, “People who do not have goals – for whatever reason – literally, physically die” and that “Groups, like individuals, must have goals or they die. Some sense of purpose is essential to the continued existence of every epi-organism, whether it is a marriage, a company, or a sales team.”
Goals are important motivators. Showing goals visually in the office on a wall or whiteboard is a great idea, giving people in the office something to work towards. Both individual goals and team goals are potent ways to change the way that people work, instilling a determination and pride in moving towards and succeeding in an objective.
Be The Example
If you want to nurture a great office culture in your business, you have to set the example as the leader. For all of your messaging and motivation, your team members have to see that you work as hard, if not harder, than they do. If you don’t do this, you can’t expect your team to return in kind. If people see the boss working harder than them, they’re more likely to up their game and try to keep in step. They will probably want to impress you.
It might go without saying, but it bears repeating: never ask a team member to do something that you haven’t done, or wouldn’t do, yourself. This can leave a bad taste in the mouth. You want your team members to trust and respect you, and if they resent you giving them a task you wouldn’t want to do yourself, they might think you’re being lazy.
Obviously, you don’t need to actually be a father or a male business owner to be a leader in the office. Anyone can step up and be the person that your staff look up to.
Embryo Digital are a rapidly growing and ambitious digital marketing agency, specialising in web design, SEO and content marketing. If you’re unsure about your company’s place in the digital world, visit their website (www.embryodigital.co.uk) or call 0161 327 2635 to give it that healthy position.
