As business owners there are plenty of concerns that can keep you up at night – how to grow your referrals, what are the latest trends in online marketing, how do tax law changes impact my client base – but are you thinking about how you are developing and leading your team?
Having a team that is fully committed to your vision and able to execute on projects knowing the “why” as well as the desired outcome is the path to growing your firm. You are only one person and you cannot do everything yourself – well, you can for a period of time but that’s not a long-term, sustainable plan. That is where your team comes in.
At the Academy one of our core values is Learn, Innovate, Share and Inspire. As a Leadership Team we recognized that our most successful long-term employees all had an innate desire to learn and improve. They also wanted to share that with others through coaching Members, creating educational materials or marketing pieces, or helping our internal team expand their knowledge base at a Lunch and Learn meeting. We noticed that the learning and sharing of information fueled something deeper in our team and we’ve made a point to continue this practice.
A large-scale example of this is that our entire Academy team has gone through the Arbinger Institute’s Developing and Implementing an Outward Mindset. When we have new hires, we schedule them to take the course the next time it is offered to our Members, which is every six months. This allows our team to have a common language when working on projects or through issues together. It creates bonding among the teammates going through the training together as they are actively learning the materials together. It also allows our team two full days to focus on their professional and personal growth.
Another way to develop your team is to create goals around skills or programs the team wants to improve. Our Operations Manager found an online platform that has self-lead trainings on a variety of computer programs we use regularly. My team expressed an interest in a Microsoft Excel training to make sure we could maximize the efficiency and layout of our many checklists. We are now creating a plan to meet on Fridays and complete the trainings by the end of the summer. This allows us time to sharpen our skills and work as a team toward a collective goal.
Finally, another effective way to get your team on the same page is to have them read a business book together and discuss their biggest takeaways. You can bring in lunch and sit around and discuss. Or perhaps you ask everyone to cover a specific chapter in the book and the impact it can have on your business. However you tackle it, having your team thinking about the big picture, how they can impact the business and having a space to share their creative ideas will create a stronger sense of community within your team. If you need book recommendations, ask me, I have plenty to share!
If planning the development of the team feels outside your comfort zone, talk to your Practice Building Coach about ideas and how to execute. Or if you have someone in your office that enjoys planning activities, explain your desired outcome and see what they come up with on their own. It may be a great way for that person to use their creative ideas to positively impact the team. It’s a win-win!
Good luck finding creative ways to build a strong sense of team and have some fun while you do it!
Erin Mathew
Director, Projects and Event Planning
American Academy of Estate Planning Attorneys, Inc.
9444 Balboa Avenue, Suite 300
San Diego, California 92123
Phone: (858) 453-2128
www.aaepa.com
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