Cotton with Cotton – September 27, 2010
I’ve worked at some very good companies and some not so good ones. In reviewing what made some of them so good, I have found several principles they all had in common:
- They had open communication. They shared information – the good, the bad, the ugly. When people see “closed-door meeting” or hear rumors, it quickly destroys a team. Secrets cause backstabbing and power plays.
- They allowed all or most to participate in making decisions. Often an owner or a couple of managers get together and make decisions that affect much of the group. Then it makes it hard for a “buy in” by the rest, so if at all possible, let your team make decisions with you.
- They build their company on service, but not just customer service to their clients, but to each other. And even more importantly, they provided service to each other without a thought of a return. Sometimes sales people provide customer service and it is done to make the sale or keep the sale, not simply because they feel it is the right thing to do. If one of your team members finished his/her project, would they think “what can I do to help someone else on my team?”
- Along with the previous idea, they managers or owners treated everyone equally as if they were also owners alongside them. When people have that kind of respect, they are much more likely to be creative and innovative and want t0 make the company better.
You can probably think of other key ideas, but let this get you started thinking how you can build a better team and a better company!
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