Team Talk

Staff management and team cultivation is the number one thing that many business owners would agree is the most demanding and challenging aspect of business ownership! I’ll go one step further and say this; most of us find it a real pain at times! It requires constant effort (mentally and physically) but if you decide to make it a priority to develop a strong, trustworthy and capable team (alongside equally important sales, marketing and financial elements of business) you WILL reap the benefits and drive success through your boutique.

Take a moment to consider the companies that you most admire who seem to drive endless sales and celebrate every week with positivity and passion. It’s likely that they’ll have a strong ‘team’ ethos and the business owners behind the scenes will be working hard to maintain a cohesive and collaborative ethic which will underpin their success. Additionally they’ll probably approach the area of staff management in an organised and formal way. Personally I find that having documents, processes and an onboarding system in place to manage, encourage and develop my team was massively beneficial, even from my first recruit.

Sure, you can casually employ and train; you can skip using application forms and appraisals but trust me - most problems that you run into when building and then managing a team can be prevented if you approach it seriously and formally from the get-go. Often when consulting with coaching clients about staff issues, if and when we break it down, it often comes back to the fact that the team member in question isn’t taking their role or the job seriously, or they don’t really know what is expected of them, or that rules weren’t really clarified in the first place. In short, so much can be avoided if there is a strong onboarding structure in place and you have the necessary documents to manage your employees.

Documents

I’ve worked with small and larger boutique teams. It sounds like a lot of work but trust me, you need most of the following documents in order to drive and build a successful team. If you don’t have them either ask a Bridal Business Coach to help you (I have these docs available) or research on google and pull together your own. Console yourself if you struggle and find this area a headache - I don’t know many business owners who find it particularly delightful.

The docs I’d encourage you to have:

-A mission statement / company ethos
-Job description(s)
-An application form
-Interview scripts or templates for each interview stage
(first telephone interview / 1 to 1 vid interview / Instore or trial session)
-Reference request form
-Contract & offer letter
-Disciplinary procedure
-Induction / Training docs or handbook
- Probationary appraisal doc (3 months)
-Annual appraisal doc

Expectations

The above can help you stay organised and in control but most importantly these docs will formally communicate your expectations. It will help you begin your relationship professionally and drive (or performance manage) when and if required.

To help flourish your team:

A) Have clarity on what’s expected of them
B) Fully understand and support your company ethos and values
C) Receive support, reward and recognition from you
D) Be given regular opportunity to discuss their role and performance

Reward and recognition

Reward and recognition is fundamental in raising great teams these days. Your team needs feedback and attention. We live in a world where validation is sought daily! We post pics on socials and then look for the comments and likes which can determine our mood and how we feel about ourselves! This is a sad truth yes, so don’t forget that feedback is very much required. This is particularly important for any of your Gen Z and Millennial recruits, they need to hear ‘good job’ and they need those metaphorical likes / comments from you in order to flourish.

Here’s a few random reward and recognition ideas (in no particular order that I endorse). Don’t forget it doesn’t always need to be a financial reward, some of the simplest and cheapest ideas can be ultra-effective gestures.

• Award a bouquet of flowers for a first sale, 50^th sale, 100^th sale.
• Take in treats, show you care.
• Create a WhatsApp group and comment on great performance / spread positivity / praise publicly.
• Create a review wall in a staff area. Print off and pin up reviews from customers.
• Host motivational team meetings. Comment on sales success, PMA and extra mile examples.
• Plan a quarterly or six monthly mini awards event. Decide on criteria (link to sales performance or other KPI’s).
• Throw a summer party (and / or Christmas do). Celebrate your success show you value their input and dedication.
• Text your staff to say thank you when they do something well or go the extra mile.
• Introduce ‘Wellness Wednesday’ a two hour coffee shop meet up. Invite holistic specialists to discuss an area of wellbeing such as mindfulness, yoga or meditation.
• Go for after work drinks or supper! Give your team a chance to relax and have fun together.
• Formal Appraisals are a must! Use a two way document and provide the opportunity for them to download and discuss the areas THEY want to discuss as well as the areas that are important for you.

Never forget that each member of your team cannot automatically be expected to have the same attitude and work ethic as you. As the business owner this is your baby, your livelihood, your concept and your creation. For many staff we employ, this is their ‘job’, ultimately they want to come to work, do a great job get paid and go home. You can’t realistically expect everyone to have the same attitude, sense of obligation or priorities when it comes to your business. So be mindful with expectations and do not forget to reward, treat, praise and encourage. They need it and (probably) deserve it!

We are extremely fortunate to have an incredibly dedicated, hardworking, trustworthy, driven, passionate and fun-loving team, but that’s no accident. It takes time and it is so important to get these things right if you want to grow a business that, like me, you can step back from and oversee without being there every day. Your team can literally make or break you, treat them well and you will soar. Take them for granted or become complacent and your business and potentially your own mental health could suffer.