Running A Proactive Business

As we approach the last quarter of 2024, many companies are striving for a strong finish. There is no doubt that this year has been a period of significant change for many businesses aiming to reset and position themselves for greater success.

When facilitating strategy sessions for many clients, I always ask four key questions: What does success look like for your company? What does it look like for your team? What does it look like for the individual? And most importantly, what does success look like for your customers? Without customers, there is no business.  When you define this “success formula”, your company starts to shift from being reactive to proactive, which no doubt is the goal of every business owner.

Having passionate staff who believe in your company is crucial – they know how to sell your brand, and your point of difference, and showcase your capability. But this begins with leadership: creating a vision, setting clear goals and objectives, and adopting a proactive approach. It’s essential that everyone in your company is aligned, which is achieved through having a solid Strategic Plan. This plan should be linked to your purpose and supported by clear communication, regular meetings, and training sessions. If you employ staff who don’t align with your company’s values, then this could be holding your company back.

As an owner or manager, it’s important to understand how to motivate through leadership and not let frustration interfere. When things don’t go as expected you must avoid demotivating your team. Research shows that if you are well – organised and stick to a thought-out plan, your motivation to do the job is sustained keeping the team proactive. On the other hand, if you are reactive to challenges with frustrated behaviours, then it is hard to sustain your self-motivation. When anger or frustration replaces your motivation, even the best efforts to inspire self-motivation can fall flat and can lead to reactive behaviour from your staff.

Managing a team means evaluating their performance and conduct, while your employees are doing the same with you. Being a good leader requires you to be well-planned and organised, particularly for one-on-one discussions, performance reviews, training sessions, and team meetings. Facilitating effective and productive meetings must be one of your KEY strengths as an owner or manager.

Solid planning and organisation will also create effective communication. As a leader you have control over the company’s direction – bring your initiatives and innovation to the table when it comes to managing staff and seek their ideas and input. Consistency is KEY if you want to develop a specific retention strategy for your business, including employee engagement, training, recognition and praise, and programs that are valued by your staff who want to be involved to make a difference. These efforts create a positive work and team environment.

Team Meetings

As a leader, you must always have an agenda for every meeting to ensure clarity about your desired outcomes. For regular meetings (weekly, fortnightly or monthly), consider creating a standard agenda so everyone knows what to expect and can come prepared. Ensure everyone has the agenda prior to the meeting (more than an hour beforehand!). During the meeting, nominate a chairperson and a minute taker. Keep it simple! Record bullet-point outcomes and action items only. Keep minutes in a central location and refer to them at the next meeting to ensure nothing gets missed.

Meetings shouldn’t be boring. They should have a ‘wow factor’ that energises the team. As the facilitator, your leadership should shine through. Use each team member’s strengths and skill sets to build your weekly meetings and make them more impactful.

Training Sessions

Training sessions should be just as well-planned and organised as meetings. Focus on training on products, services and company systems, as they are vital for success. Ask yourself, “How confident are the staff with their product knowledge? Can they all sell our products and services professionally? Are they highly skilled and knowledgeable about our company’s systems so that errors are minimised and customer service is excellent?”

Your customers expect expert advice, and if your employees can’t provide it, those customers will go elsewhere. Measure the skillsets of your team and test their product knowledge. Plan your training sessions for success and better outcomes to motivate your staff. You need to challenge your staff’s skills and knowledge, use the expertise within your company, or bring in outside experts/ suppliers to increase the knowledge level in your business.

As a leader, you must know how to coach, manage and mentor your staff to get the best out of your team. Lead by example in having a proactive approach. Leaders need to excel at facilitating training sessions that empower their staff. You must also delegate effectively and encourage new ideas and innovation to help grow the business. The goal is to promote achievement across the board, recognise staff when they implement what they’ve learned and encourage their development as leaders themselves.

At Key Business Advisors, we have an incredible team committed to delivering results that align with our mission, vision, purpose, and values. We develop tailored strategies designed to take our clients’ businesses from good to great. With a proven model and over 16 years of experience, we’ve consistently built strong, lasting client relationships across Australia.

To learn more about our company and access FREE resources to help your business grow and get to the next level:

• Key Business Advisors – keyba.com.au
• KBA Business Strategy & Growth – https://keyba.com.au/business-advice-strategy-and-growth/
• KBA People & Culture – https://keyba.com.au/people-culture-business/
• KBA HR Advice and Support – https://keyba.com.au/hr-advice-support/
• KBA Professional Sales Training – https://keyba.com.au/professional-sales-training/

At KBA, we are passionate about taking businesses from good to great. If you need assistance in enhancing performance through a strong organisational culture, please don’t hesitate to contact us today!

If you would like to explore our services further or require assistance, please reach out to Key Business Advisors on 1300 4 ADVICE