How to Communicate Clearly with Your Team or in a Partnership
Episode 343: Show Notes
Today we are carrying on with listener questions, so do not forget to send yours in if you have any! You can do this on Instagram or in the Facebook Group, we love to hear your ideas and questions, so go ahead and ask away! Today we are tackling a question on how to keep communication clear, deal fairly with different amounts of input and how to keep a partnership strong and working well. We have talked about this a little before in other episodes, in different contexts, we have looked at the legal side, how we started out, how things have changed, our thoughts on partnership and breaking down our team. But it is high time for an update, so here we go!
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Truth be told, we do not really suggest you go out looking for a partnership like ours. We have seen again and again how difficult it can be and how businesses dissolve, we have just been very lucky in the way that we fit together. So this is us sharing our lessons that you can apply to your team in whatever shape or form it is in now or takes in the future. We are sharing some strategies that have worked for us in resolving conflict and sharing the roles of a business and truthfully, it has mostly been really smooth and easy for us, but that is not always the case. So join us as we break down some tools, books, software and ideas that can make it work that much better for you!
What is Your Company Culture Around Communication?
We all know that every business is different and communication is obviously dependent on what kind of business you have and the model you follow. Different models breed different cultures and this all shows up in different ways. All this to say that there is no one way to manage communication! For us, most communication is handled virtually but the important thing to ask yourself is what are the ways the people on your team learn best and what is the way that works best for you? You can use email, video calls, audio messages, conference calls, whatever makes the most sense for you and your team. This means knowing your colleagues and being flexible and responsive! We like to think of it as a two step process. And once you have figured that out you can tailor those methods for the team and its constituent parts. This is essentially identifying main hubs of communication and then using tools within that system to get the most out of it.
Our Tools, Systems and Dos and Don'ts
We have used a mix of Slack and Trello to systematize our communication. We also incorporate Voxer and Loom to get things across and done on time! These tools allow us to get learning and training done quickly and we can also store content for later. We have seen that strict processes can be amazing but they can also become outdated, so it is not always a good idea to lean too heavily on the those immovable structures. Too many details in your processes can slow your team down but checklists can be really vital to such things as setting up webinars and launches. We believe in letting the one in charge of a project decide how things play out and a big lesson for all of you out there is that when decisions are being made you cannot have a tie; one way needs to be chosen in the end. Defined roles are essential in avoiding these scenarios! The way we have let it play out is Abagail, as the integrator has veto power in the event of dispute. It is a trap to think you can only be the visionary, we have seen this many times and you can ruin your business by hiring the wrong person to be your integrator. Not everyone has the same passion for you business as you do, so be careful who you give power to.
Introducing Our New Favorite Software!
A number of people recommended ClickUp to us and we have started using it recently as a new system in our setup. As we have grown and the team has become larger, it becomes easier and easier to lose track of things and for them to take longer. We can all benefit from some automation that helps things get done on time but with that being said you might not be at the stage of needing something like ClickUp right now. We are using it because of our size; you may still be some way off from there. It is mostly good for projects that are being touched by multiple members, so just think about whether this applies to you or not. The platform works quite similarly to Trello but has some extra features that can help. There are time tracking tools, more due dates for subtasks and some 'if this, then that' features that can be amazing if run correctly. At the moment we are still learning the ropes and while there have been some hiccups we are confident in it improving out workflow!
Keeping a Team in Check and On Course
We recently added a weekly team meeting and it has proved really helpful for everyone! We hate meetings for the sake of it but these really keep everyone accountable and using the level ten meeting agenda from Traction is a great model. We are still looking for new ways to do things going forward and do not have all the answers yet, especially now with a full time employee on board! For us this all means being better bosses and the big takeaway we want for you is that there is a certain amount of trial and error and you do have to learn as you go to some extent. So be mindful of how you set the tone as a leader, how you implement things will be followed by your team, so figure out what your strengths are and stick to them!
Quote This
Don't be afraid to stick to your guns but you have to know what those are first.
Highlights
What is Your Company Culture Around Communication? [0:05:45.7]
Our Tools, Systems and Dos and Don'ts. [0:10:59.3]
Deciding Roles and Getting Real with Your Part. [0:24:32.7]
Introducing Our New Favorite Software! [0:27:29.2]
Keeping a Team in Check and On Course. [0:32:55.5]
ON TODAY’S SHOW
Abagail & Emylee
The Strategy Hour Podcast
We help overwhelmed and creative entrepreneurs break down their Oprah-sized dreams to create a functioning command center to tame the chaos of their business. Basically, we think you’re totally bomb diggity, we’re about to uplevel the shiz out of your business.
KEY TOPICS
Communication, Partnership, Cofounders, Startups, Tools
