Your team collaborates all the time. Your cashier talks to the fry cook or your receptionist updates the back office staff on the waiting room line.
But if you aren’t collaborating with your team, you’re missing out on building a healthy team — and possibly growing your sales.
Read on to learn why collaboration can make you a better manager.
1. It will boost morale
People don’t leave bad jobs — they leave bad managers.
But as a manager, you have the power to boost your team’s morale which can reduce churn and improve productivity. Here are three tips to help you keep your team happy.
- Track performance. Create a clear overview of your team’s performance, and how you’re tracking towards goals. Then communicate your progress — either in weekly meetings or over email. Work together to ensure your staff meets their goals.
- Welcome new employees, either at a staff meeting or in an email. Then ask a current employee to be that person’s buddy for the week. That will help your new staff feel like part of the team from day one.
- Create an engagement committee that can help you build a successful onboarding experience for new staff.
2. You’ll ensure alignment
Gathering, analyzing, and sharing up-to-date information is crucial to the success of your team.
For example, maybe you want to remind your team that you’ve changed this week’s menu at your restaurant. If you just put a note up in the break room, there’s a chance your staff might not see it. That might mean your waiter gives the wrong daily specials or one of your cooks isn’t prepared to make a dish. And worse — your customers won’t be happy.
Not sure where to start? Here are some teams for keeping your team aligned.
- Find a workforce management solution that allows both employers and employees to post messages.
- Have a weekly (or daily) stand up meeting to update your team with any news. Ask everyone to contribute to ensure each person has a chance to share their own updates.
- Make space for regular debriefs. How did today go on the sales floor? What was the flow like at the hostess table in your restaurant? Ask (and make sure you get) feedback from your team so as a group you can decide what changes need to be made in the future.
3. You can grow your sales
As a manager, you have a lot of responsibilities. But when it comes down to it, you’re on the line for making your bottom line. Whether you’re the shift manager for a chain coffee shop or the owner of a pizza parlor, the doors are going to close if you’re not hitting your sales goals.
One of the best ways to grow your sales is to incorporate collaboration into your overall strategy. When you’re so busy, it might be hard to slow down and focus on collaboration, but here are a few ways to work collaboration into your everyday life.
- Never be left shorthanded. Find a tool that lets your team talk amongst themselves if they need to swap shifts. Grow your sales by approving swaps with replacements that have the right skills to do the job.
- Create task lists for your team so they know exactly what they need to do and when they need to do it. Make sure your team can easily connect with you or other people on the team if they have any questions.
- Set up monthly brainstorm meetings and invite your staff to share their ideas for growing your sales. You’ll be surprised by what innovative ideas can arise when people are given the chance to speak up.
Build a connected business
Better collaboration through seamless communication will make you a better manager — and lead to a stronger business. Sign up for a free trial of Deputy and see how you can help your staff stay informed, share important messages, and contribute to the workplace conversation.
