The opinions expressed by Entrepreneur authors are their very own.
Jeff Bezos once said, “If you can’t feed your team with two pizzas, it’s too big.” While Bezos’ management ideas weren’t at all times perfect, he got one thing right: larger is not at all times higher.
Large teams can have benefits, including greater knowledge inside the team and the ability to take on projects as they grow. Such teams also can have disadvantages: slower decision-making, limited individual accountability, duplication of effort, and communication problems. In comparison, small teams may be more agile and flexible and take more personal responsibility.
As a CEO, I have at all times believed that the team as a whole is greater than the sum of its parts, but when the team is smaller, it is at all times a challenge to ensure it really works as best as possible for everyone and the organization. I would like to inform you that it will possibly be done much more effectively than in a larger group.
When I first joined ICF, five of us supported all functions of a dynamic and multi-faceted international organization. At first we were very busy and went in many directions. Because of this, we had to focus and find a way to be each productive and visionary. For a small team to realize this enormous potential, it have to be properly supported and directed. In my experience, the key to getting the most out of small teams is to apply a coach’s approach to my very own leadership style.
A coach’s approach to leadership is based on applying coaching competencies corresponding to lively listening, presence, curiosity and asking relevant questions to your leadership style, with an emphasis on empowering team members to be their best through increased self-awareness, problem-solving and defining their very own approach to achieve the goals of your work. Full achievement may take some training and practice, but the result is a team that is empowered, motivated and achieving its highest potential.
Here’s a practical guide to achieving meaningful goals when working with a small team with a coach-led approach:
1. Build trust
Mutual trust is an advantage of working in a small team that many people take for granted. Team members know each other, trust their colleagues and feel familiar with working together. But in a small team, this trust can be broken quickly and effectively. As an entrepreneur, you have a responsibility to lead by example and invest in building that trust among your team members.
For starters, be open about work, including yours, and skip formalities when sharing information. Honesty and transparency in your team model trust from the top down and show team members that they will feel comfortable talking about problems or admitting uncertainties or mistakes. This strategy may also teach teams how to accept feedback constructively.
It also can encourage personal and skilled development because trusted team members will collaborate openly and is not going to query or query each other’s abilities. This dynamic helps everyone work together more effectively, feeling more motivated and confident.
In addition to transparency, a coach’s approach to leadership is guided by curiosity quite than judgment. This approach encourages team members to speak openly, in search of to higher understand each other’s perspectives and opinions, roles and responsibilities, and how everyone can contribute to achieving goals in a unified way. When different perspectives may be shared openly, the resulting work inevitably advantages.
2. Make humanity productive
In a smaller team, it is easier to learn about the strengths and weaknesses of each member, their work style and what is most necessary to each person. This knowledge enables leaders to higher assign projects, organize roles, and hold employees accountable. It also can allow leaders to reduce the need for meetings and focus more on increasing productivity quite than “ticking the box” on tracking milestones.
Still, it is important to provide each team member with clarity on expectations, support to have and reference input, and open communication to track where the entire team’s efforts are at any given time.
Be sure to convey to each team member that they are essential. Recognize each person’s contribution and rejoice a job well done. When leaders value the contributions of their team, each member will feel necessary and be more committed to achieving common goals. Never assume that team members are already capable of making their best contribution – some may additionally excel at tasks outside of their current area of interest. If there is room, allow them to experiment and expand their skills. As a manager and leader, your job is to enable their development.
3. Support diverse perspectives
Big or small, every team advantages from diverse perspectives. Smaller teams with members from different backgrounds bring together different resources, skills and life experiences that may be directly applied to latest ways of pondering and working. Better problem solving, simpler decision-making and a collaborative work environment mix to increase team effectiveness. Make sure your team, even if it’s small, has diversity of thought. It pays off tenfold.
Additionally, (*3*) is all too real, especially in smaller, family-owned businesses and teams. Founder syndrome, often described as “resistance to change,” occurs when a founder takes on a disproportionate amount of responsibility for making decisions about the organization.
To balance this, a leader must bring diverse perspectives to the team and create an environment where these differences are recognized and celebrated. This will help break down barriers when someone has a counterpoint to raise or an opinion that goes against the majority. Instead of feeling like an outlier, it is important for team members to know that such input is valued as an necessary contribution. The coach’s approach to leadership supports this with openness, curiosity and authenticity.
Diversifying a small team may be difficult at first, and building the right small team can take some time. But when you do, small teams will develop into stronger with latest ways of pondering.
Small teams, big impact
As an entrepreneur, it’s possible you’ll sometimes feel such as you’re one step behind the “big players” in your industry, but your small team may be incredibly powerful. When you apply a coaching approach to your leadership style, you’ll be able to build trust, value the contributions of each team member, and gather diverse perspectives to enhance your team’s ability to achieve exceptional things. Always remember to share your success, express gratitude to your team, and rejoice their efforts – along with your own contributions. Most importantly, learn from experience every time!