Make your Team a Happy Team – Part 3

It is a proven fact, happy employees add more to your business and increase your profitability.

They are way more productive, less likely to change jobs, take less sick leave, and have more energy which they are willing to invest in your business.

They will also have a higher achievement rate than their unhappy counterparts.

But there is a big difference between happiness and engagement factors, and the key to a happy team lays in knowing how to combine both in balance.

These are a few suggestions you can try to help achieve this balance, plus a higher level of profitability.

1. Team engagement starts with your commitment

Take the time to get to know your team members as individuals.

Getting to know them will tell you how to motivate them. It’s the details what will show them you care about them as people, not just workers –only, in order to do so, you will genuinely have to care.

2. Give them the tools and training for their personal growth

They will know that you’re invested in them if you take the time to develop their skills, challenge them to learn more, do more and accomplish more; give them the ability to move forward within the company.

3. Listen to your team members

Every member of your team is motivated differently, so review them often so you can learn how to find what is the perfect combination of programs and resources for that person.
Once you get their feedback, act on it.

4. Boost teamwork through team-building activities

Your relationship with your team members is important, but so is the close relationship between teammates.
When you encourage this kind of friendship through team-based projects, and team-building activities, this creates a sense of responsibility and accountability within the team –they don’t want to let their mates down.

5. Use rewards and incentives

These are huge motivators for most workers, also non-cash related awards, and inside-the-team recognition programs are excellent tools for engagement.

An engaged workforce is a happy, productive workforce, and that is always good for your business.

Work towards developing your team members as individuals, help them become their best versions of themselves, and you will be well on your way to happy and engaged teams.

Hope you’ve enjoyed this Team Happiness series of articles, and that you were able to implement them into your business strategies.

See you next week.

Stay strong!

One of the core values we have as a company is to inspire and empower people in all aspects of their lives. Additionally, if you want to read about our Custom Software Solutions and Consulting Services, please visit www.isucorp.ca

Make your team a Happy Team - Part 2

The key to create and maintain a happy team is to take charge as a business owner, design a company culture that leads to members’ contentment.

Here are some practical strategies to start with: Mainly, you need to understand your team’s personality

You got to know each one of them in order to know what would make them happy; you need to understand their workplace personality profile so you place them in the right position according to their skills and disposition.

For this, you need to create a hiring, training, and promotion protocol that assesses their DISC profile.

Now let’s take a closer look at this DISC thing:

D stands for Dominance

Those people who operate best when allowed to be direct, results-oriented, decisive and competitive, are often skilled negotiators, problem-solvers, managers and leaders.

I for Influence

Those charming, enthusiastic, optimistic, persuasive and inspiring, are usually the influencers; those capable of working collaboratively with a wide variety of teams.

S for Steadiness

People who consistently exhibit understanding, team-minded, patient, stable, and sincere capabilities are often dependable for managing or collaborating with others.

Finally, C for Conscientious

These are the people who are known for being analytical, diplomatic, precise, compliant and objective; those valued as work-horses in business because of their ability to remain objective to the goal in spite of the direst of circumstances.

For our next blog, we’ll finish this triad understanding your own business identity.

Until then, stay strong!

One of the core values we have as a company is to inspire and empower people in all aspects of their lives. Additionally, if you want to read about our Custom Software Solutions and Consulting Services, please visit www.isucorp.ca

Make your team a Happy Team - Part 1

Not everyone knows where to start when it comes to team happiness. Many managers –whether in sports, business, or any other category, mistakenly think that providing incentives (paid vacations, bonuses, or foosball tables) will make their people happy.

In part, those tangible benefits contribute to retaining a workforce, but to achieve real happiness and fulfillment, you’d need something more.

As a starting point, you must ensure that your organization core values are aligned to produce a commitment for excellence besides contentment.

We all know this: a happy team creates a happy business, scores, and achievements in general.  But what does “happy” mean in this context?

Basically, it is about the need every human being has to be significant. It also has to do with contribution, and finally, with growth. We all need to know that what we are, and what we do, matters; and that it helps make a difference in the world. That’s the way we grow, and become better.

In all this, the team or company culture plays a pivotal role.

Research indicates that not only money makes team players happy; it takes something far less tangible: trust.
Trust in a team makes each member more productive, excited and innovative in whatever it is their task at hand.
Brain physiology studies demonstrated that oxytocin enables trust, connection, and generosity, which in turn allows contentment.
There is a flip side of this coin, high levels of stress (the opposite of happiness) inhibits the oxytocin, decreasing team bonding and positive interaction.

If you intend to take your team to a higher level, take every measure possible to reduce stress so that team members can get their jobs done efficiently and without burning out.

All in all, the best strategies to ensure team happiness and performance are leader recognition, peer recognition, achievable workloads and assignments, clear leadership, and deliberate relationship-building.

Next week we’ll talk about team members’ personalities and how to leverage this in favor of the team.

Until then, stay strong!

One of the core values we have as a company is to inspire and empower people in all aspects of their lives. Additionally, if you want to read about our Custom Software Solutions and Consulting Services, please visit www.isucorp.ca