5 Tips for Building an Amazing Team Culture
The following is adapted from The Secrets of Dating Your Business.
Have you ever walked in on the first day of a new job, full of excitement and nerves, only to have your new manager show you your desk, wish you luck, and leave you to sink or swim? That’s what happened to me on my first day working as a real estate agent in Manhattan.
After that less-than-amazing start to the day, I ate lunch by myself, and maybe one person talked to me. I basically had to figure out my new job all on my own.
That kind of experience doesn’t do much to create an amazing team culture. I quickly found out that the New York City real estate industry is extremely transient. Is it any wonder, with a setup like that?
Contrast that with a “Best Place to Work” company. If you talk to someone who works at one of those places, they’ll probably tell you they love their company because of the culture, the vision of the founders, and their coworkers. You want the same for your business!
You want people to feel loved, appreciated, and that they are contributing to something important. When people feel like members of a community, they are much less likely to quit; they persevere because they feel that they are important, regardless of their level of success.
Showing each member of the team that they’re important doesn’t have to be difficult. In fact, it just takes implementing a few simple strategies, which I’ll share with you here. When everyone feels the love, it’s a sure sign of a healthy culture and a thriving organization.
#1: Make Them Feel Good
When you’re starting a new relationship, what makes you feel good? You want to be introduced to your boyfriend’s friends and made “official,” you want to know that this person cares about you and will drop almost anything for you while you’re in the honeymoon phase, and you want to feel safe and that you can share your true feelings—good and bad—with them.
It’s the same when you bring on a new consultant to your team. You should introduce them to others to help them make friends and build relationships with accountability partners.
At the end of the day, a job is not “just a job”—it’s about feeling that you are part of something bigger than yourself (and having fun and feeling fulfilled while you do it). Keep that in mind when you bring new team members on, and help them connect with peers who can strategize with them and offer support.
When new hires are social and make a lot of friends and peers, you set them up for success while continuing to work on your own business. I like to say, people join for the opportunity, but they stay for the community. You want to create an environment where people never want to leave.
#2: Get Personal
Within the first twenty-four to forty-eight hours of bringing on a new team member, set up a thirty-minute meeting to give them the opportunity to ask important questions (and for you to ask yours).
Make sure you find out what their short- and long-term goals are. Ask them how they like to communicate, and find out when they’ll make time to work their business.
It’s important for you to get these details, but you also want to tell them what you expect. Court them and show them you will be a great mentor, leader, and friend.
You want to get to know your new partner as much as possible, so you’ll talk on the phone a lot in the beginning. Make it clear in advance when the two of you will be talking and how often. And if you’ve set up a time to talk, they should know that you expect them to pick up the phone.
End each call by setting the stage for the next one: “Great! I’ll talk to you again on Wednesday at 8:00 p.m. If anything changes, let me know ahead of time.” Let them know that the most successful consultants are the ones you speak with often, and they’ll be excited and motivated to talk.
#3: Be a Cheerleader
Remember, a big part of creating an amazing culture is supporting your team members. Text your new consultant daily just to say, “Hi, how are you today?” Make them feel excited and comfortable, and accentuate any wins.
Show love to your new consultant and lead with a service mindset. Say things like, “I am so proud of you” and, “Great job!” Sometimes as leaders, we don’t think of the skill that is required to build a big team—loving leadership must be at the front of your mind even if you’ve never been a leader before.
People can be sensitive to negativity, especially in the beginning, because they might be unsure about doing something new. Even if you have to dig, find one good thing and talk about it. Focus on what they are doing right, or—if they aren’t doing anything right—focus on the fact that they are doing something that is moving them in the right direction.
You can give constructive feedback or advice by giving them a compliment and then saying, “Here’s something we can work on if you are interested.” Choosing your words carefully can make a big difference.
#4: Give Homework
You’ll do a lot of hand-holding at first with new consultants, but then you’ll start giving homework. Ask your team members to watch a certain video to prepare for your next meeting, or give them a small task or assignment that is due by a certain date.
Their attitude and response to your requests will show you whether or not they really want to work and, as a by-product, whether or not you should continue to invest your precious time with them. Let them know you’ll guide and direct them as much as you can, but at the end of the day, you can’t do the work for them. It’s a partnership, after all.
Setting these expectations and making these requests are important, but sadly, many people just won’t do the work. If they start making excuses, you have to call them out. Say something like, “You’ve said you want to build this, but your actions are telling me otherwise. What’s going on with you? Is it something personal? Are you okay?”
Don’t be fearful. Put it out there, and do it right away. You can’t waste time on someone who doesn’t really want to be a part of your team, and they shouldn’t waste time pretending.
#5: Be Willing to Call People Out
As you develop a great culture, you’re going to notice that your team members get more and more comfortable. That’s great! However, keep everything in balance; you don’t want to get taken for granted.
If someone is not returning calls or meeting you halfway, you need to address it. Say, “Listen, you must not be into this like you told me you were. That’s totally fine. I believe in you and think this is an amazing opportunity, but I can’t spend my time with you if you’re not going to give me yours.”
Your time is valuable. Don’t forget that! If the other person wants you as their mentor and partner, or if they want your help, they need to contribute to their half of the relationship.
You need to command respect. If someone keeps standing you up, or they keep saying they’re too busy, have a conversation. Ask if their goals have changed since the two of you last spoke, and tell them to let you know when they’re ready to get back to work. Pair that with a homework assignment, and encourage them to resume their training.
You Can Create an Awesome Culture
There’s no question in my mind that team culture plays a huge role in the success (or failure) of that team. I’ve experienced both sides of the spectrum myself, and I know for a fact that when I was made to feel welcome, valued, and supported, it was so much easier to do my very best work. I wanted to do well for the team that was supporting me.
That’s what’s so great about this: when you take the time to implement these simple strategies, you end up with a team culture that makes every single person on your team feel amazing. In return, they do their very best for you. I love win-wins, and that’s exactly what this one is!
For more advice on how to create a winning team culture, you can find The Secrets of Dating Your Business on Amazon.
Miriam Steketee is a former dancer and corporate gal who turned a network marketing side hustle into a seven-figure business in just four years. She left the corporate rat race in New York City to build a life and career she loves on her own terms, from home. Today, her passion is to help women live authentically and become the best version of themselves, and believes building and maintaining relationships are the keys to sustaining a business long-term. She lives in Ridgewood, New Jersey, with her three children—Sebastian, Darien, and Julian—and husband, Randy, who was able to start his own law firm because of Miriam’s success.
