One of the biggest keys to success in any business is building a positive work culture.

To make this possible, you need to establish a winning culture in which your employees are able to function smoothly without needing you to have a hand in every aspect of the business. You can do this by clearly defining everyone’s roles and creating a positive environment where your employees are empowered to succeed in those roles.

Define Roles and Set Expectations

Clearly defined roles and expectations make up the foundation on which teamwork is built. Clearly defining your employees’ roles and setting precise expectations for them is key to keeping everyone on the same page and focused on achieving goals. When employees know how they fit into the bigger picture of your business and what they need to do to succeed, they have a clearer understanding of, and better appreciation for, the overall direction of the company.

When your employees have a clear understanding of their roles, it helps improve teamwork by giving them a better idea of how their job affects their coworkers. Clear roles and expectations in your business will also improve employee accountability. When responsibilities are clearly delineated, there’s nowhere to hide if someone isn’t performing, as all mistakes can be traced to their sources. When you can quickly identify the source of a problem, you can more easily correct the process or behavior that causes it.

For a more detailed discussion of how a successful screen printing team works together, check out our blog: How to Give Your Screen Printing Customers the Total Quality Experience

Empower Your Employees

To create a truly effective team, your employees should be empowered to work and solve problems independently. Having to micromanage your staff will cost you valuable time, negatively affect morale, keep your business from operating smoothly and efficiently, and give everyone plenty of headaches. When workers are empowered to overcome challenges on their own, it’ll not only give them a sense of accomplishment and pride, it’ll make your business more productive.

In order to empower your employees, first there must be mutual trust and clear communication. If you don’t fully trust your employees to get the job done, or if their responsibiltities are unclear, you’ll find yourself micromanaging and wasting time. You need to be able to trust your employees enough to stop holding their hands. Hiring the right people is the first step, but you can also help with proper training. Giving more freedom to a worker who doesn’t know what he’s doing – or what he’s supposed to be doing – is a recipe for disaster. Ask yourself: if you weren’t there, do your employees have a sufficient understanding of their roles where they could function without you? If not, taking steps to improve your training program and communication might be in order. When you give your employees the freedom to operate on their own, it’ll free up your time to work on your business, instead of in your business.

Create a Positive Environment

Creating a positive work environment doesn’t mean you have to put a ping pong table in the shop or throw lavish parties. Your employees don’t necessarily have to be best friends to function successfully as a team. Creating a positive environment is about providing an open atmosphere where employees feel comfortable being themselves. When your employees feel comfortable expressing their ideas and opinions, and they know their ideas and opinions will be listened to and considered, it’ll boost morale and give you valuable feedback you can use to improve your business. You can inject some positivity at your shop by recognizing and rewarding your employees for their contributions – everyone needs a little positive affirmation every now and then. Most importantly, keep in mind that screen printing is a fun, creative industry that gives you a chance to create some really cool, unique work. Take some time to enjoy it!

Remember, the culture of a business is usually largely determined by its owner. If that’s you, don’t underestimate your own influence. If you don’t see the qualities you desire when you look in the mirror, you probably won’t see them in your employees. Responsibility, organization, empowerment and openness all start with you.

For more tips to help build a quality team that works well together, check out this blog:

How to Hire and Retain the Best Employees at Your Screen Printing Shop