Ask HR: With such a lean budget, how can I motivate my team?
What you need to know:
- First and foremost, you must earn the trust of your staff. You do this by first trusting them, believing in them and giving them the freedom and space they need to do their jobs.
- Think of what really motivated you to do your best in your previous job and see how best to apply this to your team.
- Take note of what you totally disliked and avoid retroflexing this on your team. Trust is established in several ways.
I recently ventured into business after five years of employment to pursue my dream which has been my side hustle for two years. Although my business is not related in any way to the work I did, I am keen to learn and succeed as I built this young company one step at a time. My challenge is that I am now responsible for 20 employees, mostly professionals, and I am looking for ways to inspire confidence and create a sense ownership in them. How do I do this within a startup budget?
Your confidence and determination to pursue your dream is inspiring. I greatly admire your strategy to start small and set things in motion while still employed. Perfecting a plan in paper and stepping out to make it work can be an uphill task, and has seen many dreams remain unfulfilled. As you know, successful businesses are built on the right values, especially transparency and integrity. Some of the key ways to build confidence in your team have less to do with constraints of a startup budget. They are mostly hinged on sound leadership.
First and foremost, you must earn the trust of your staff. You do this by first trusting them, believing in them and giving them the freedom and space they need to do their jobs. Think of what really motivated you to do your best in your previous job and see how best to apply this to your team. Take note of what you totally disliked and avoid retroflexing this on your team. Trust is established in several ways. Be clear in your communication, ensuring you are sharing the right information at the right time. This includes any changes in direction, tactics or strategy. As a young business, there will be lessons to learn, so allow room for feedback. As you share your vision for the business, your team will be keen to know the role they can play towards realising this vision. Clearly explain what is expected of them, and how their success will be measured and rewarded.
Resolve conflicts swiftly and objectively by listening keenly, evaluating every feedback and correcting misinformation to enable everyone to be effective. Establish ethical and transparent ways of doing business and emphasise this often. Treat your staff fairly and avoid having favourites. Depending on the nature of your business, allow a flexible structure, identify managers of key functions and empower them to supervise and guide their teams. When trust is established, the rest of the work flows easily. Finally, from the very start, establish a culture that creates the right balance between work, psychological safety and wellness.
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