Leadership comes from the top, down. Therefore, it’s vital to ensure your management team consists of individuals who align with your vision, share your core values and lead in a way that matches your leadership style. The better your management dream team, the more successful your business.
But finding the right players to add to your management dream team is easier said than done. Retaining them is even harder. Thankfully, certain strategies can help you overcome these challenges and attract the key players your business needs.
Here are five essentials to consider for building (and retaining) a management dream team:
- Invest in your staff. Ensure your pay and benefits are competitive. As I said before, great talent is hard to come by — so to get great talent, you have to be willing to pay for it. That doesn’t mean you have to overpay for it, but do ensure your salary and benefits are competitive so your business is positioned well to be considered by talented individuals.
- Take your time during the hiring process. Don’t hire someone just because you need the spot filled. Take the time to ensure they’re a culture fit. Because if they’re not, you’ll be surprised at how quickly they become a distraction — especially in a leadership position. It’s tempting to get positions filled quickly, but in the long-term this is a poor strategy.
- Look for self-starters. In addition to a culture fit, look for individuals who are self-starters to add to your dream team. These are people who see challenges not as challenges, but as opportunities. In a leadership position there’s no more important quality.
- Hire people that bring something different to the table. Although everyone should be a culture fit, that doesn’t mean everyone on staff has to have the same personality or think the same way. Look for those individuals with unique viewpoints who can bring something different — and valuable — to the table.
- Show staff you care. It’s important to let great staff know you care through words and actions. Don’t make the mistake of acquiring a key player for your dream team, and then not working to retain them.
What strategies have you found that are essential to building and retaining a management dream team?
Rachel Zabonick is editor-in-chief of Club Solutions Magazine. She can be reached at rachel@peakemedia.com.
