There are few things better than a team who supports your vision. There are few things better than being able to collaboratively build and create impact.
But if you’re feeling frustrated with your team, struggling with turnover, or overwhelmed by managing people, it’s time to take a deeper look at how you’re building your culture.
As someone who started as a solopreneur and waited way too long to make my first hire, I can tell you firsthand that finding the right team—and building a right-sized team that supports both the culture and profitability of your business—changes the way you run your business and lead as a CEO. And it directly impacts your quality of life.
Let's talk about how you need to create a team culture that is motivating and actually retain the people that you have so you can focus on being a better leader, achieve your big goals, and work less in the day-to-day operations, giving you more time to truly lead and grow your business.
Is Your Team Engaged or Disengaged?
No matter the size of your team (whether it’s two people or 200), the first question to ask yourself is: Is my team engaged?
Because your team culture directly impacts your bottom line. Take a look at your turnover rates. If you’re constantly having to rehire, due to people leaving or being frustrated with the performance, this could be a sign you have disengaged members.
“A high-performing, motivated team is the difference between the longevity and success of your business and stagnation.”
Culture Matters More Than Perks
First, I wanna start with the reality that the culture of a business matters more than the perks.
When I'm talking with clients about possibilities for expanding their current team, there's often a focus on adding more benefits. And sure, benefits are great, especially depending on how long someone has been with the company, what those benefits are, and how you structure them.
What I often find, though, is that my clients are frustrated because they don't feel their team members are loyal to them – gym memberships and health stipends don't really build loyalty, do they?
In sales, people buy from people they trust and connect with.
All of my clients didn't necessarily buy from me because they were like, “I like Kelsey,” but because they knew we had similar values. They knew I understood them. They knew that being a mom of three, being an entrepreneur for 14 years, I get it. They knew that they could trust me.
The same applies to your team. People don’t stay because of perks. They stay because they feel valued.
Your people need to feel seen, heard, and understood.
Now, this doesn’t mean we lean into our people pleasing personalities or letting others dump their personal problems on you. Of course, if we only practice authoritative leadership, talk down to people and consistently tell people how they're not doing enough, then they aren't going to want to stay with us either.
What we DO want to do is create a culture where people matter – creating communication policies that allow people to be human.
Here’s how:
1. Set Clear Expectations
First, set clear expectations.
Give them success metrics, such as setting KPIs – not just data-based, but also “environment-based” to create excitement and motivation around hitting these goals. You can be creative with these things to make sure it's aligned with the business values.
2. Empower Ownership
Your team needs to feel empowered to have a sense of ownership.
Empowerment is created not just by our words, but also by our actions, giving team members ownership of their tasks and responsibilities.
Because you can tell people, you could build them up with words all day, but we all know actions speak louder than words.Telling someone they’re amazing and such an asset, and then YOU are questioning everything that they do on the backside, they're going to feel that something is off.
I have something in my business I call Project Leadership.
It is essentially giving permission to everybody on my team to progress my business forward. For example, if they see something in the business that needs to be improved or they think they could improve or they think could be optimized or more efficient or could be added that would be make things better depending on our goals – they have full freedom to say, “I saw this, this is what I think we could do with it, this is what it looks like, here's the plan,” then run with it.
I love giving them that autonomy! Plus, I learn so much in the process, too, so everyone is growing alongside the business as well.
3. Recognition
Never have I ever had a client who didn’t implement some sort of recognition strategy.
We often get so busy in our businesses that we forget to show appreciation to our team, assuming that because we’re paying them, they should just do the job.
I think a lot of times, especially in administrative positions, those people can get lost. I tell my operations and client services manager, at least once a week, that I literally could not breathe without her. She is my foundation of everything, she holds everything together.
I I always want her to know that.
Because here’s the thing: employees have no unbreakable commitment to us…anyone could leave at any time.
That’s why recognition is essential. Ask your team how they prefer to be recognized. Some people like public praise, while others don’t.
In my Team Management Bundle (which is five private podcast episodes), I talk about leadership changes and mindset shifts necessary to be a better leader. It also includes five practical downloads, including templates like a meeting agenda, performance reviews, and quarterly planning tools. One of the spaces in the meeting agenda template I provide is for recognition. Use it to recognize team members for their efforts, attitudes, teamwork, and problem-solving.
Celebrating wins and showing appreciation regularly is something that no one does enough, but it can make all the difference for team morale and loyalty. Incorporating consistent recognition will elevate your leadership, foster a more engaged team, and make a lasting impact on your business culture.
Keep Your Team Motivated for Long-Term Success
Create growth opportunities for your team: Whenever a team member may be feeling stagnant,you always want them to see growth potential within the company. This could look like providing chances for team members to expand their skill sets.
My designer, who primarily designs web pages, wanted to dive into social media. I gave her the opportunity to explore that and learn more. I also found her an SEO course, because SEO is key for websites and it was an area she was unfamiliar with but could grow into.
Despite her initial role, she now has a path to grow in different directions within the business. It’s about creating that trajectory for them, even if that means moving into a role better suited to their strengths and interests.
Build trust by being transparent: A couple of months ago, I shared with my team the personal development work I had been doing, alongside some changes in our business.
This transparency wasn’t just about improving the business; it was also about me holding myself accountable for areas I knew I could improve on as a leader. This level of openness builds a deeper level of trust between you and your team.
Ask for feedback regularly: A lot of times we make assumptions. People who just are showing up checking boxes, we don't know if they're happy. We don't know if they like their role. We don't know if they want to stay. We don't know if they're looking for other jobs.
Just like I ask all clients halfway through their contract and at the end of their contract for feedback, I do the same for my team because I need to know that they're okay because I need them.
Ask them what they need to feel happy. What areas do they want to grow in?
Check in to ensure they feel heard, know their concerns, and understand how they’re feeling in their roles, because that’s how you prevent issues from growing unnoticed.
Prevent burnout and resentment: In order to prevent burnout, we need to do two things:
1. We need to know where the burnout comes from
And 2. We need to balance our workloads and respect boundaries
One of the greatest ways to do this is to be an example of that yourself. It's very easy to get frustrated that people aren't working as many hours as you when you're working too many hours.
You need to set clear policies for time off. If you have a remote team, you want to be clear about what that looks like in terms of hours and expectations. I have a VIP business assessment that will assess eight areas of your business and allow me to see where your gaps are so that we can create solutions to fix it.
Building a motivated and trustworthy team takes intentionality, but the results are worth it. Build them up, help them see their value, and create an environment where they want to stay and grow.
If you’re ready to step into a more intentional leadership role and want support in leading your business with clarity, purpose, and confidence, I’m here to help. Whether you're looking for guidance on building a motivated, trusted team or preventing burnout in your business, join the waitlist to get first selection on the strategy and thought partnership you need to succeed.
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