How to improve team performance at a startup
Team performance is one of the essential tools for a startup. Being part of a startup is intense and the goal is to grow. Having a team that feels passionate about their work is part of the formula for getting better results and achieving stronger growth in less time.
Team performance is one of the essential tools for a startup. Being part of a startup is intense and the goal is to grow. Having a team that feels passionate about their work is part of the formula for getting better results and achieving stronger growth in less time.
The Factorial team, one of the startups created by Itnig.
A motivated team can reduce staff turnover, improve productivity and even increase customer retention rates. All of this means higher profits and growth for the startup.
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What the Itnig team members say.
We found some ways to improve performance while also making the team more motivated and engaged with their work.
Promote a culture of wellbeing
One of the key ways to boost performance is to promote the wellbeing of the team. To be able to do our best work, it’s important for the startup to make our health and wellbeing one of its priorities.
A tired and/or stressed team won’t perform well, let alone drive the startup’s growth. In this modern era, open to change, breaks, for example, should be part of the working day.
Providing health benefits such as free gym memberships and nutritious food options, like fruit, in the office has also become popular among startups trying to promote healthy lifestyles. This helps teams stay active and energised, and therefore more efficient.
Also, the social and work environment is another priority that all companies should have. Startups are usually young teams from several different cultures, so organising activities to get to know your colleagues better is a way to create a pleasant, social atmosphere in the office and when working as a team.
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At Itnig we organise themed afterworks for our startups and their teams.
Startup flexibility
You have to keep in mind that teams have a life outside the office. Most professionals find it hard to achieve a healthy work-life balance with a typical 9am to 6pm working day. Allowing the team to adjust their schedules and work somewhere other than the office or their home shows that they’re trusted to complete their tasks in their own way. Companies that have allowed teams to customise their schedules, work from home or a coworking space, have seen a noticeable improvement in turnover, absenteeism and productivity rates. That’s because showing trust in the team has a big impact on employee motivation.
Define expectations
A team needs to know what’s expected of each member and of the team itself in order to work effectively. Without knowing which tasks they’re responsible for, employees can’t reach the goals set for them. Confusion about a poorly defined task or objective can cause frustration among staff, and therefore lower job satisfaction. The solution is as simple as clearly defining and explaining the expectations you have for the team.
Once the goals are set, the most effective way to boost employee performance is to provide staff with strong leadership. Without proper direction, goals will eventually lose momentum and fade away. Proper performance metrics to monitor progress are necessary to keep the team motivated. If the desired goals aren’t met, you need to look at what can be improved rather than discourage team members.
Recognition
Besides clarifying goals, it’s also important to know how to recognise and reward the team’s work. Members who feel their contributions aren’t recognised are more likely to start looking for a new job.
One way to show recognition and appreciation for effort is to reward it in some way. The easiest way is a simple “thank you” or “good job”. While this may seem like a small gesture, it can be a huge motivator.
A form of reward and recognition can also help all employees feel appreciated. For example, at Factorial, one of Itnig’s startups, weekly “kuddos” or shout-outs are given to members or teams who have shown great effort or had a good initiative.
Feedback
Whether negative or positive, asking for and receiving feedback is crucial to a company’s success, especially a startup in its earlier stages. Simply asking for team members’ opinions shows that their judgement is valued and taken into account. If it weren’t, there would be no point in having a team.
One way to ensure the feedback you get reflects people’s honest opinions is to make responses anonymous and private. It’s interesting to see what conclusions you can draw by asking about the work environment, the company culture and whether there are any general improvements you could make to improve professional life.
A startup can benefit from improving team motivation and performance. Employees who feel passionate about their work are more loyal, less likely to quit and create better experiences for customers.
