Utilising Your Team For Business Success in 2022
The pandemic has shone a spotlight on workplaces and how people work, with employee satisfaction and engagement at the forefront of current trends.
Being creative about providing the best possible place to work can be an extra challenge for small business owners who already have so much to juggle. A team is vital for the success of a business though, and a strong team enables a business to run like a well-oiled machine.
Whether you have shifted to a fully distributed team, still working in-house, or coordinating a hybrid team – you might still be playing catch-up to overcome all challenges, or you’re now tweaking.
What can you do in 2022 to ease your own burdens and ensure your team carries your business towards success? Here are some tips in line with current trends in remote work that can be applied to most team dynamics.
Cyber Protection
Cyber-attacks have been on the rise during the pandemic. If you don’t have a strong cyber protection plan in place, it’s time to get one. Consider the cost and risk of your systems being compromised compared to either outsourcing your cybersecurity management or utilising an in-house IT team or technician. While cloud technology has provided numerous advantages and solutions for business processes, it can also create vulnerabilities that leave businesses an easy target for cyber threats.
It’s important to be thorough when assessing weaknesses in your IT infrastructure. If you have a remote team, remember to ensure that your remote employees are aware and educated regarding your cyber security protocols so that their home workstations are not used as a gateway for cybercriminals to enter your business.
Employee Wellbeing
Your business functions, as well as your employees, do, so it makes sense to ensure that your team are functioning at an optimum level. There is an increasing responsibility on employers to play a role in maintaining employee wellbeing, and considering your employees make a choice to dedicate themselves and their time to you and your business, why not look after them?
The benefits of maintaining mental, physical and emotional wellbeing extend beyond employee retention goals, although isn’t it great when your business is renowned for being a positive and enjoyable place for people to work? Engage with your employees for suggestions to promote well-being in your workplace.
While one workplace may find that a weekly yoga session suits their team, another might focus on improving team communication, or how to reduce feelings of isolation or stress. Think about what touches you can add personally as a business owner, whether it’s routinely checking in with your employees or buying a round of coffees for everyone on a Friday afternoon. If you have a remote team, think outside the square on how wellbeing can be improved virtually, at your employee’s home, or even posting something via snail mail to boost spirits with a thoughtful surprise every now and then.
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Learning & Development
Maintaining and increasing skills is vital at all levels of your team to ensure success. If your learning and development calendar hasn’t been set for 2022 as yet, January is the perfect time to do so. There is a range of options to suit every business budget, from free online courses and presentations to retreats or in-house expert workshops. Consider including a mix of soft skills and personal development training alongside professional and industry-specific education.
Workplace learning and development has been a key factor in talent retention, so during a time when there have been massive changes in society and the workplace, this is definitely something that should be considered to not only retain staff but to strengthen your employees as individuals, as well as your overall team. Sharing resources and upcoming events with your team is another suggestion, and allow them to take initiative for their own development as well.
Management and Leadership
The pandemic has called for reflection and change in management and leadership, with the voice of employees calling for improved employee-centric styles. If you haven’t yet assessed and reviewed your management practices or pondered the differences between management and leadership, this may be an area for you to personally spend some time contemplating in 2022.
Increased remote working during the pandemic has raised the discussion around whether there should be set hours to complete work, or whether the output should be the focus. Do you need to monitor the clocking on and off of your employees, or are you happy with measuring output alone? Do you prefer to tell your employees what to do, or do you encourage roundtable discussions?
2022 will call for continued adjustments and flexibility due to the pandemic, and your resilience and strength as a manager and leader is vital for the success of your business and your team moving forward.
Resources
It’s fair to say that not all workplaces should, or need to, provide expensive or extravagant spaces for employees to work in – especially small businesses. If your employees work from home, to what extent do you cover their home office costs? It’s worthwhile to consider what you will allow for in the business budget in 2022 when it comes to resources. Are you providing home office setup packages or stipends to your remote team, does your kettle need an upgrade to a coffee machine, and are sit-stand desks on your radar?
Small businesses often take a needs over wants approach when it comes to resources, and that doesn’t necessarily need to change. An important trend to note though is that work is increasingly being reflected upon as an extension of life, with work-life balance key to employee requests for changes in workplace arrangements or resignation decisions.
How does your business provide snippets of enjoyment to your workers, or simply provide them with what they need to complete their work? At the very least, you could ensure that you’re providing a computer and software for your team if they’re working from home – and hit two birds with one stone here by hardening your IT resources for cyber protection.
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