How To Keep A Team Engaged: Your 6 Steps Formula

Starting a business does not have to be a nightmare, here are 6 formulas that will help you keep your team together.

Step 1) Know the person

As leaders, you have the opportunity speak life into your team member by knowing them as a person above all. Be diligent in remembering names, significant events, non-work situations and important interests of your team members.

Step 2) Be real

The buzzword of the day is authenticity. Your team wants to know that the person you project yourself to be is the real you. Being real means your actions and words are aligned with your core values. If you value integrity you will act and speak in a way that demonstrates integrity. This includes admitting mistakes and taking immediate action to correct them.

Step 3) Create a safe environment

Engaged team members know that their managers support them and will have their back when questions or conflicts come up. These team members are confident that they won’t be abandoned to take sole blame for projects that go off course.

When mistakes are made, as they inevitably will, there is an appropriate level of accountability.

Step 4) Be honest

I once managed a mid-level supervisor who was always pressing me to share the “real reason” behind a new initiative. I would explain how this change benefited the team, the customer or the overall business. He rarely believed me. He would look for an angle that would cast him in a negative light and make that the underlying motivation for a change.

Step 5) Communicate frequently and consistently

In my experience a disengaged team will always point to a lack of communication. Frequent and consistent communication contributes to a sense of trust.

For teams going through substantial change communication is like nourishment to the organization. Without it teams struggle. When there is a lack of communication the team members have to fill in the gaps with their own speculation. Inevitably the speculation will be off base; either more doomsday or more rosy than reality.

Step 6) Provide team member ownership

Engaged team members own their work and decisions. This does not “just” happen. It is cultivated by a manager that has coached the team member to know a desired outcome, and then allows the team member to craft the solution to get there.As a manager you get the opportunity to directly influence the engagement level of your team members. This takes intentional, disciplined and focused effort. 

The Science Behind Baby Steps: How to Tackle Goals Big and Small

Article not written by me but i know it is a helpful article.

Last weekend, on a beautiful Colorado spring day, I went for my first bike ride of the season.

I was huffing and puffing up an especially endless hill, gazing longingly at the top -- it felt miles away. I’ll never make it, I groaned. I’m just not strong enough yet.

All of a sudden, I had an idea. What if, instead of staring at the top of the hill as I climbed, I fixed my gaze a few feet in front me? I stopped looking at my end goal and gave myself permission to focus on riding a little at a time. Lo and behold, I made it.

Even more shocking, I enjoyed it.

This experience was a powerful reminder of a very simple lesson: When facing a challenge, small steps are usually more effective than big ones.

7 Traits of successful Female Entrepreneurs

The world of business which is often reflected in the Forbes billionaire list as a place for powerful men, suggests that men dominate the world of business. However, women have literally begun taking the bull by the horn. There is news of inequality, unequal pay, a lack of women in politics, in government and at boardroom levels which suggests that women are still facing challenges. Women can testify to the taunting, misogynistic and condescending comments they may have received at the onset of their career or business as a result of being looked at as a woman first, before a professional. There is however a growing list of successful female entrepreneurs who started their businesses from scratch and now own multi-million dollar empires.
     
 These women have their footprints in the sand of time; they aren’t your average thinkers. Examples of this calibre of women include Oprah Winfrey, Folorunsho Alakija, Mo Abudu, Adenike Ogunlesi, Martha Stewart, Iman, Estée Lauder, Carmen Tal, Bola Shagaya, and Rachel Ray. What traits do these women possess that guarantee success? Faith and Belief: These are essential traits that every woman should have; the power to move ahead in the face of uncertainty and believe in themselves to move further in life. Mo Abudu’s famous line is “if you can think it, you can achieve it.” “Every great dream begins with a dreamer. Always remember, you have within you the strength, the patience, and the passion to reach for the stars to change the world.” Harriet Tubman Passion: Have you listened to successful entrepreneurs speak? They are passionate about what they do. They build businesses around what they love e.g. Oprah, who is passionate about public speaking thus her highly successful talk show. “I really love what I do. It’s extremely motivating to me.” – Jenny Craig “I became successful due to several reasons. I never gave up and I never let anyone or anything get in my way. I use the power of positive thinking to tackle obstacles and challenges so they don’t defeat me. Passion for my work and my business are other important reasons. I really love my work and I get great satisfaction from it.” – Lillian Vernon Zest For Learning: Being an entrepreneur alone is a daunting task talk less of being a female entrepreneur. They constantly attend trainings and study to update themselves, seeking answers to the constantly changing questions in this dynamic world. Perseverance: Starting a business is the beginning of a journey. If most successful women had not endured and stayed in the game for so long, the success they enjoy now and the accolades they have would be limited. “Perseverance is my motto.” – Madam C.J. Walker Ambition and Vision:

 Successful female entrepreneurs are not mediocre in thinking; they think big. They envisioned a successful global company and stepped beyond their comfort zone. They took a step further by paying the price of success, never settling for less. “I envisioned a company in which any woman could become as successful as she wanted to be. The doors were wide open to opportunity for women who were willing to pay the price and had the courage to dream.” – Mary Kay Ash Confidence and Assertiveness: They earn trust and build a reputation. To be successful, assertiveness has to be conveyed by being fearless, and speaking with authority (not condescendingly) purpose and confidence. Additionally, one must be able to confidentially and rationally deal with criticism and be calm, and considerate most times

 “I don’t believe in failure. It’s not failure if you enjoyed the process.” – Oprah Winfrey “My philosophy is that not only are you responsible for your life, but doing the best at this moment puts you in the best place for the next moment.” – Oprah Winfrey Hard work and Bravery: They are prepared to do what it takes, work long hours, and sacrifice time to push themselves out of their comfort zone. Hard work is the secret to success and time has to be sacrificed. “I used to want the words ‘She tried’ on my tombstone. Now I want ‘She did it.’” Katherine Dunham. As part of efforts to increase the number of successful female entrepreneurs in Nigeria, RegCharles Foundation, the non-profit member of the RegCharles Group, is preparing to hold its annual Female CEOs Roundtable – a high energy hub for leading women entrepreneurs to network, engage and drive value exchange for Nigerian businesses.