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As a business owner, you have grown your business from nothing, and you are proud of how you have done that. But now your business has plateaued and you are not sure how to move forward. You have a few ideas but they are things you have tried before. You could do with a few more ideas and some energy to implement them.
Have you considered asking your team? They might surprise you!
When we manage a multi-generational, multi-cultural, diverse team and we don’t ask them for help we are restricting our business growth by only bringing our ideas to the table. Each of these people has their own life experience to call on, they may hear ideas from their friends and families on how other businesses do things and they will definitely have different perspectives to ours. Each one of these elements means you cannot afford to NOT ask them!
After all, you don’t occupy their lives, so you are not going to have their ideas! And if they have ideas they will be happy and excited to help the business implement them.
How do we ask them though? Here are a couple of ideas:
- Run a workshop where you present your vision for the business and ask your team for new ideas to achieve the vision
- Communicate that ideas are welcome and set up a method for them to be sent to you (a Teams channel for instance)
- Make a point of asking in meetings what ideas people have
Once you have some great ideas you can work with your team to implement them, that could be by getting them involved or even taking on the action themselves. Always check that they are happy to do this though, especially if it was not their idea. Don’t underestimate the enthusiasm of someone who comes up with an idea being trusted to implement it.
Warning!
Always, always, go back to the person who suggested the idea and say thank you. Even if it is not a good idea, go back to them and explain why that idea won’t work (e.g. it doesn’t fit your values or is too expensive). They need to know you appreciate them taking the time to submit or share an idea. Otherwise word will soon get round that you don’t mean it, that you don’t really want ideas! And the ideas will tail off…. And then the next idea, the one that will change everything, may not ever be suggested 😱
In conclusion
Ask your team, they may surprise you!
And if you need any more ideas on how to ask your team for ideas, ask me for some of my ideas 🤣
Jacqui Hanbury is the Managing Director of The Pathway Communication Company Limited and is a specialist in helping you find the thing that is stopping your business from achieving as much as it could be. Follow her on LinkedIn to find out more.
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The Pathway Communication Company Ltd provides a personalised plan to help you and your business move forward. We might help you set goals, a strategy, a communication plan, facilitate a meeting, be a coach or mentor. Whatever it takes. Find out more at: www.pathwaycc.co.uk