Build a stronger team in 2012

Motivate your staff and get them working as a team in 2012 with these five resolutions:

1. Share your vision
If you haven’t done it yet, make time early this year to talk to team members about your vision for the business.

Have some kind of team planning meeting to kick-off the year, where you can talk about your vision plan for 2012, suggests Levitt. That way, everyone on the team is working towards the same goals.

2. Improve communication
Get your team talking in 2012 by resolving to improve communication.

Have regular meetings with your team, says Levitt. It’s also a good idea to have casual conversations at the office or over lunch to get to know your team better on a personal level.

3. Show more appreciation
Build a stronger team and be a better leader this year by recognizing your staff’s hard work.

Telling team members that you appreciate their work and offering constructive feedback, says Levitt, can keep a team motivated and engaged in the business.

“Sometimes we get so busy that we overlook things and you just kind of assume that everything is going fine,” she says, “and then suddenly someone just quits on you, because you weren’t keeping up.”

4. Have more fun
Get to know your team members better this year by having a little fun, says Levitt. Doing so will help improve production and help your team to bond.

If you have a really busy time of year for your business, such as RRSP season, celebrate getting through it with a party or a staff event, she suggests.

5. Get more feedback
Get a better understanding of your team members by asking them what they want from you and the business.

Ask for feedback from your team on what they’d like to see happen this year, says Levitt. One method to use is what the Personal Coach refers to as “Continue, Stop, Start.” Under this approach, invite team members to tell you what they would like you to continue to do, what they would like you to stop doing and what they would like you to start doing.