Achieving your goals for your studio will be a lot easier if your team is invested in the future of your business.
As the owner of a small business, you're completely invested in the success of your studio. Your passion and drive have allowed you to build a successful business and this success has taken your studio to the next level.
But running a studio inevitably means you're also leading a team and, let's face it, leadership can be an adjustment. Even if you're teaching all of the classes yourself at the moment, you most likely WILL have to hire a teacher in the future.
Organisation psychologists say one of the most popular ways to motivate team members is to create an inner commitment to the goals of the organisation in each employee. And the same experts recommend that if you want sustained motivation, you need team members who are invested in and committed to your business goals.
Research by organisational psychologist Frank Herzberg has shown that people are actually more motivated by internalised goals and values than they realise and that many would sacrifice external rewards for the sake of a role they can really buy and bite into. When people care, they perform well.
So how do you get your team on board with your goals and work together to realise your vision?
1. Document your goals
The first step in getting really clear about your vision and goals for your studio is to write them down. If you're not clear about where you're headed, how can you expect your team to be on board too? What is the vibe you want to create at your studio? What sort of classes and programs do you offer? Who is your ideal customer? What do you want to be known for? What are your teaching values? Having a very clear focus and direction is going to make it much easier to both hire teachers that align with that vision and communicate your ideas to your staff.
2. Give your team a voice
No matter the type of business or industry, good leaders don't simply just load goals onto an organisation. If you want to get your team really invested in your goals for the studio, then you need to invest in theirs. Organise a one-on-one with each team member to chat about their individual goals as well as what type of studio they would like to work for. You could also have a group session to brainstorm ideas and goals for the studio. By doing this, you create a shared vision for your studio that your team members are more likely to be invested in.
3. Create a team handbook
The next step is to share the big picture with your team. Be transparent and open about your vision and why it's important. Share how you plan to get there and the role each of your employees have in achieving your end goal. The best way to do this is in a team meeting but don't forget to share everything in your team handbook as well so your employees have constant access to the big picture and can refer back to it at any time. Your team handbook is also a great place to share your studio mission and values and remind your teachers and admin staff why these are important. Don't forget to incorporate what YOU provide for THEM. Let them know what kinds of support you can offer. This will help your teachers feel like you respect them and their time. They need to feel like you have their back!
4. Keep everyone in the loop
If the goals and the work is shared, then the results need to be shared too: you need to be transparent about how the studio is doing. Schedule regular team catch-ups where you recap your vision and goals and track where you're at. This doesn't need to be the whole focus of the meeting but can be a regular feature of your normal planning meetings or team bonding events. Small gestures like food and fun at these events let your teachers know how much you value their time, ideas, and talent. Teachers that feel appreciated are much more likely to follow your path wholeheartedly and return year after year.
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