Team Building: Constructing a World Series Staff

We tend to spend more time with our co-workers each week than we do with our family members.

So to have to spend eight-plus hours a day Monday through Friday with people we really don’t get along with can be likened to Dante’s First Circle of Hell: certainly not completely unbearable, but definitely unpleasant!

How can you as a manager build yourself a great staff, one that will make your life easier and everyone’s work lives more pleasant, as well as increase morale, performance and productivity? Read below for some tips:

• If someone isn’t pulling his or her weight, if someone is a constant whiner or complainer, if someone is a slacker, your other team members will see it and it will bring the team as a whole down. If this has happened, you need to first speak to the team member to see if you can help him or her improve performance and/or attitude. If the person can’t – or won’t – make an effort, don’t be shy about letting him or her go.
• The same goes for someone who has broken your trust or the trust of your team members. Sure, the individual may be a hard worker and smart, but in the long run, dishonesty will only grow – and in ways you can’t possibly foresee. It’s best to cut any team member you can’t trust.
• Remember people have a life outside of work. Everyone has a personal life, so make a point of finding out about your staff members’ birthdays, weddings and wedding anniversaries, birth of children or grandchildren, etc. Celebrate with them. Help them (perhaps with a more flexible schedule, for example), when they go through a rough patch at home.
• Build processes into your team’s work flow. Processes help things get done right the first time and on time. Once you have a system in place that appears to work, create a process around it.
• Have people of different ages, sexes, backgrounds, etc., on your team. Diversity breeds creativity, and different ways of doing things and thinking of solutions.
• Play to your team members’ strengths. Let them do what they’re best at. While you can’t ignore their weaknesses (and should work with them to improve their weak spots), it’s better to have them do more of what they’re good at than “work” on getting better at what they’re not.
• Recognize people for their efforts. Recognize them when they make extra effort. Recognize – and reward – them when they go all out and end up accomplishing something incredible. Recognize publically for best results.

There are many ways to build great teams. What do you think we missed in our list above?

As you’re looking to add to your team at your insurance company or within your department, come to the great team of recruiters at Insurance Relief™. We can help you find valuable additions to your team roster quickly. We look forward to hearing from you.