Let’s face it; the kitchen and bath industry can get stressful at times. Things can become a madhouse…someone entered prices incorrectly, an in-home measurement was missed due to an absent employee, and your salespeople are arguing over who stole whose lead. While there are ways to streamline your business operations (to ensure you monitor your team’s appointments, automate accurate pricing and quotes and keep track of leads), there are also ways to improve the efficiency of your company through team-building.
Think about your operation. Sure, everyone seems to be striving for overall success, but does it seem like there is an apparent “we” mentality or more of a “me” attitude? Especially in commission based sales positions, it isn’t uncommon for employees to become competitive instead of focusing together on the big picture. This is why it is important for you to stress the value of teamwork in the everyday practices of your organization. Team-building exercises are a great way to help keep the “I” out of “team.”
Team-building exercises
When deciding on team-building activities, get more creative than monthly team meetings. There are plenty of opportunities you can muster up to gather the team (whether during work, or after hours). If you struggle to get everyone together after working hours, designate a day for a company pizza party. Come up with games such as “Who Am I?” or schedule a fun activity in company down time such as a scavenger hunt (perhaps for a missing cabinet).
If you get the general feeling that your workers would be willing to participate, create a function such as a bowling night or even a seasonal softball or kickball league. Many communities have open sign-ups and this can be a great way for the employees to bond after working hours. Another way to incorporate team-building is through a volunteer program. You don’t have to wait for the holidays in order to give back to the community – there are year round opportunities in most areas. Close for a day and have your staff work together on a mission to feed the homeless or work together to build a house through Habitat for Humanity.
Research team-building activities in your area, and you may be surprised to find professional companies dedicated to helping your team bond grow stronger, whether it is a high or low ropes course, a professionally organized scavenger hunt or improvisational games created specifically to help with team-building. Make sure you and your employees take the activities seriously, but that everyone also has fun.
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