smallbusiness.co.uk: Helping your business think big

SmallBusiness.co.uk talks to three companies about how to build a cohesive team unit.

Everyone makes mistakes. The trick is to learn from them. Mark Bower, CEO of digital marketing agency Coolpink, says, ‘We spent a long time being far too focused on the numbers, and it took a good few years before we twigged that it’s all about the people.’

Communication breakdowns and poor man management caused a high staff churn, prompting Bower to look to an online presentation on management style. It showed him how to let staff use their own skill and judgement rather than restricting them with regimented procedures.

The results have been positive. ‘There’s a renewed vigour about the business and people feel better connected to the aims of the company,’ says Bower.

Too much, too soon
By contrast, success can create its own problems. Since its launch in 2007, flight comparison website Skyscanner has grown from 15 people to 85. CEO Gareth Williams says, ‘At one quarterly meeting, I asked people to put up their hands if they had joined in the past 12 months, and the ones who did outnumbered the rest.’

In order to keep the company culture strong and true, Williams says he put a lot of effort into making sure he communicated frequently with employees. He also instigated a move to an open-plan office, of which he says, ‘It made a big difference for the whole team to be able to physically see each other and, in turn, interact smoothly as a unit.’

Anyone who has worked in a hotel will know that it’s a place where teamwork is a dirty word. Behind the smiles and smart uniforms there is in-fighting, gossiping, affairs and mind-boggling levels of deceit and skulduggery when it comes to winning tips.

Philip Search, manager of Broad House Hotel in Norfolk, has somehow managed to remove the rot. In an industry where the average staff turnover is 50 per cent, Search has his level of churn down to 10 per cent.

He says, ‘Our staff are cross-trained to ensure that the customer gets what they want, when they want it. So our receptionist can use the coffee machine and our waiting staff have all been taught the best telephone manner. It results in a team where everyone understands each other and communicates well.’

There are currently no comments on this article