How to Create a Team

Members of any group will develop, over time, different modes of interaction. As in any organization there are many groups. Stages of the construction of a working team:

-the construction: Since the first moments in which the group is formed, its members begin to familiarize with each other. This period is one in which relationships are build with knowledge and explanation of the situation. Often this period is characterized by uncertainty due to the fact that individuals do not have sufficient information about each other. For this reason, the leader will have to intervene and decide all these uncertainties that may occur.

-the tension: This period is characterized by relatively large number of conflicts and tense moments generated by misunderstanding or questions, despite the fact that group members feel more secure than in the first stage. Unit group is still not consolidated because their members have not yet clarified the roles that they have met. The leaders are the ones that are designed to generate a good mood inside the group. The members are encouraged to communicate, and to decide issues, to understand the real situation and most importantly, to mobilize to achieve its objectives. Leader with the ability to determine these actions can be an advantage of the strategists.

-the normal stage: This period is installed immediately after the roles are well established and accepted by all members and the previous problems have been cleared. In this stage the team is formatted

-action: Represents the period in which one becomes mature and is focused on achieving goals and solve the challenges faced. He is able to perform complex tasks and work to resolve internal disagreements in creatively. In this stage the members know each other and previous issues have been resolved, the atmosphere is relaxed and interactive.

-the dissolution: This stage is not present in all groups. Some groups are formed specifically for the fulfillment of tasks in a limited time. Is important for the group members to have the ability to quickly assemble team for a clearly specified objective, to dissolve soon after reaching it and to be able to form a new team if necessary.

Why It's Crucial to PLAN Your Exit

The strategy behind of any type of proper planning is to visualize an endpoint, anticipate the actions needed to get there, and mitigate risk along the way. An exit plan accomplishes the exact same objective. However, as you may have seen in our survey last year, 90% of all business owners have not initiated the exit planning process. Unfortunately, most clients come to us when they are ready to sell their company, but without having done any advance planning. When a comprehensive exit plan has been implemented and validated by your various business, tax, accounting, and personal advisers, you are likely to have increased shareholder value, improved the chances of a sale, reduced your future tax burden, and increased the wealth to pass on to subsequent generations.

Every entrepreneur is told that they should create an exit plan at the same time they create their business plan. However, most people think that an exit plan only encompasses when and to whom they want to transfer their business and don't actually go through the planning process. As skilled and as successful as most business owners are, they cannot, working alone, create and execute their exit plans. Even your attorney, CPA or financial and insurance representative, individually, are usually unable to craft a successful exit plan. Successful exit planning is a multi-disciplinary effort that requires you and your advisers working together. For your exit plan to succeed, you need your legal, financial, tax, and investment banker input. In addition, having an exit planning professional on your team should help you lower the costs incurred by these professionals and assist in keeping your exit plan on the right track.

Whether your endpoint is a sale to a third party, a transfer to family member, an orderly liquidation, or something in between, each outcome will have a separate set of actions needed. For instance, if you are selling to a third-party, your end objective should be to maximize value. Alternatively, if you wish to transfer to family, you would want to minimize the transfer value.

You will also have to address as part of this planning process, what would happen to the business and to your family in the event your death or disability preceded your planned exit.

Below are the most common objectives of a thorough exit plan:

• Minimize taxes now and/or following the transfer of the business
• Minimize estate taxes when you transfer your wealth/business to family
• Determine how to meet your retirement goals
• Prevent business value from crashing upon your death or disability
• Communicate your goals and expectations with your family and keep them on the same page, supportive, and cohesive
• Build value within the company to maximize eventual sale price and terms
• Improve chances of sale because of certain features implemented
• Understanding the value of your business
• Determine who would be the best type of buyer (family, third party, employees, management, partner, etc.)

Once you have finished your comprehensive exit plan, it is important to implement it otherwise that plan is only an expensive piece of paper. Save your money on getting a plan done if you have no intention of implementing it. Just like your business plan, your exit plan will probably change along the way and it is important to adjust it accordingly. However, that isn't an excuse to avoid the planning process. Remember, now may be a good time because you may have more time on your hands and might be able to negotiate for some leniency on rates from professionals.

Employee Problems - Why the Problems of Your Employees Are Yours As Well

If you have been running your own business for any amount of time, you have probably realized how valuable your employees are to the running of your company. When one of your employees has a personal problem that affects their work or work output, you will realize that it is your problem as well. Your employees are the base and structure of your business and if there is an employee with a problem, you will feel the impact of that problem. Many times, these personal problems are thought to be a flaw of that person's base character, but this is not always true. If one of your employees has a personal problem, it must be addressed to find out why or where the problem is occurring. Only then will you know if the problem has to do with a character flaw or if it has to do with a problem on another level.

Studies have shown that the true cause for most employees' performance problems has nothing to do with their character. Of course, there are always exceptions to this rule, but if you are having problems with an employee who was otherwise fine, you may want to look deeper into the problem before jumping to conclusions. Many times, the causes of these problems root in a few basic categories. The employee's problem may have to do with their home environment, training or ability problems, job design problems, work environment problems, personal problem or expectation problems. When investigating a problematic employee, these are the places you will want to start. You will come to find out, that if any of the employee's problems are rooted in the work place, that this is very important and must be fixed. If their problems are in the work place, their personal problems are definitely yours as well. Many times, an employee may not know what is expected out of them on every level and this is where expectation problems come in. If you are running a relatively new company, this is a good place to start. In fact, an employee may not even know that there is a problem if he or she does not know all of what is expected from them. There simply could have been some communication errors at their hire and they have no idea that they are not doing all of their expected tasks. If one of your employees is not doing all of their job's tasks, you will certainly feel this personal problem. Expectation problems can usually be easily remedied with a review or a simple talk.

An employee's work environment is the next big thing that you will want to take into account if there is a personal problem. Their work environment entails both the physical and mental environment. Make sure that your employees are being treated well at their jobs. The better your employees are treated, the better work that you will bet from them. If there is a problem amongst your employees, these must be addressed to correct any problems on this level. If an employee is having a problem becoming motivated on a personal level, you will have to address this problem with a review or talk as well. Always talk any problems out with your employees before firing them, as most problems can be easily fixed.

How to Create a Positive Work Environment

In any office where there's commission salesperson, there's the potential for a battlefield. However that doesn't need to happen. Strategies can be incorporated into the office environment that fosters exceptional working conditions.

Depending on the number of your staff, there's often the situation of some people forming cliques and office friction occurring. There's a variety of reasons for this, including gender, age, cultural and personalities. However, involving some 'bonding' activities can help to eliminate this.

Create a Team Spirit

In a team where people are working together competitively, it's essential to incorporate activities that foster unity and healthy relationships.

You've probably heard the saying "A team that plays together, stays together". Well that's also the case in creating comradeship. Here are a few tips to do that.

Socialise together - Organise a regular time when you can share some fun times together. Try different restaurants, have a group booking at the latest movie, attend sports events together...even re-create the progressive dinner.

Exercise together - Start a sporting team that enters competitions. It may be ten pin bowling, the local half marathon, or plan to walk one of the local walking tracks. If there's nothing suitable, challenge a local business group to a top team competition where you have a variety of unusual activities (remember the Top Team television programme).

Help the Community - Find a project or people in your local area that need assistance and get involved in charity work. You can organize a concert and donate the proceeds, sponsor people in activities or paint a house for an elderly resident. There's loads of alternatives and there's the universal law of what 'you give comes back to you in greater amounts'...so it opens you to abundance flowing back into your life.

Value Fellow Members

Research from the United States and Europe reveal that the easiest and best way to create the 'feel good' factor is give a compliment. Heart beat monitors have proven this and it's as easy as sharing words of appreciation.

This also lets people know that they are valued and reduces any barriers of discord that may crop up in the office.

It's important when giving compliments that they are genuine and from the heart. It's easy to pick up on falseness. These can be given either face to face at the appropriate time, or at a weekly sales meeting, or people draw a name of another member of staff from a hat, to pay a compliment to. A copy of it can also be displayed on a board in the office or on their desk. People re-create the 'feel good' factor whenever they re-read them.

One important message for the receiver is for them to 'thank' the person who gives them a compliment, rather than 'shrug it off' as unimportant. Society once deemed it as derogatory to accept one's good. Thankfully the importance of this gesture has been recognized, especially in the matter of boosting one's esteem or belief in themselves.

Awards and Prizes

These are great for creating a positive environment and lots of variety for other ideas on this theme. Here's one: each staff member donates a dollar per week and from the draw (which people must submit an entry about a good deed from a fellow worker) a name is picked and that person wins the weekly coffee shout. You can also create some fun, with people bringing unusual gifts (home grown tomato, baked cake or balloon for everyone's desk) to include some light-hearted 'blackmail' so they're entered in the coffee draw.

Top Salesperson Award

Some offices may have this idea and it gives people something to strive for. However a word of warning. A real estate client I coached continually won this award. She was a grandmother who had started her real estate career by default. As a people's person, her natural manner was to help people and she'd been doing it naturally for over 60 years...in fact, an expert. Other staff members asked for her secret. "I just help people" she answered. Unfortunately, people started to disbelieve her. This caused her grief because integrity was important to her. They had also started eliminating her from some office activities, when she came to me for coaching. We analyzed the situation and she learnt about herself and her personality, then her co-workers. The situation improved for awhile, however a year later she was working for another company who were benefiting from her expertise.

Sharing stories

People only usually become acquainted with each other when they first start working together. Consequently there is lots about each others past that they are unfamiliar about. I.e. where they've travelled, sports achievements, hobbies, or past goodwill deeds.

To add variety at meeting have people (draw a name from hat again) and be nominated for the next meeting to share something about themselves. It may be they've visited the Taj Mahal and were in awe of the architecture, the love story behind its creation and the reason for their journey to visit it. Any of the above or a heartfelt story about
something they've sacrificed for to achieve or a shared success or the funniest moment of their life, are all strategies to create harmony and positive vibes in the workplace. The added bonus is people improve their skills in public speaking and boost their esteem level.

The above tips may not be new, but try sharing the organization of them, rather than dumping it on one person. This will also have a motivating effect. Positive people work in optimistic environments. Eliminating ego and working from the heart, will have a constructive affirmative edge to your workplace situation, thus creating a harmonious team.