The three Cs of happy teams
“Happy teams are built with a combination of healthy communication, correct processes and shared commitment to success”
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The 3 Cs of happy teams
I just returned from attending one of our inspiring entrepreneur workshops with a room full of the top South African young business leaders and their mentors.
The topic of the workshop was people management – the art of finding and nurturing the best in people to create a thriving team
One of the beauties of South Africa is our constitution that promotes fairness and equality, and as a country we stand head and shoulders above many others when it comes to fair working conditions. But as entrepreneurs, these labour laws also place huge restrictive burdens on what can and cannot be to grow our business and provide employment.
Listening in to the workshop I took a micro-snapshot of this important topic, and I came away reminded of three key principles in working with teams, which I will summarise rather tongue in cheek as the 3 Cs of happy teams or how to CCMA-proof your business!
C stands for Communicate. Don’t we all feel that we communicate well and are shocked when people don’t understand or fail to follow instructions. In reality though, there is a never-ending need for communication in life, and in business the time we spend explaining conditions of employment, expectations around performance management or how profit is made is a vital opportunity to build a team that is aligned and supportive of your vision. We all need to communicate to inform, include and inspire, and then still do more of it! Employees also have a responsibility both to communicate across to your team members, and up to your line manager or boss. Communication is a two-way process for everyone!
C stands for Compliance. Not all entrepreneurs are aware of the basic compliance in a business, for example that contracts are a legal requirement for all employees, including part time and casual. Contracts document the expectations of the role so there are no ‘grey areas’, ensuring that both employer and employee are clear on their expectations. Most cases that go to the CCMA are lost on the basis of compliance to the labour law processes. Even a persona caught red-handed stealing, is entitled to a formal process to terminate their employment. Sadly, its only in the movies that you can simply shout out “You’re fired!”
C stands for commitment. The human element of feeling a sense of mutual commitment to shared success – that of the employee reaching their personal goals, and the business to its growth potential. We achieve this when we master communication and compliance. Much like in a marriage, it’s important to talk things through, and to have a good antenuptial contract to underpin things!
Well, that’s it for the week. Do reach out to a mentor, or an HR specialist if you are unsure if your people management is on track. It’s much easier to get things right than it is to fix things once they go wrong. And do talk to your staff and ensure they feel seen and heard.
