Inspired by Jessica Ennis-Hill: Forging a franchise dream team

Whether you're an elite athlete or just standing on the starting blocks for your business, it's all about the team

Inspired by Jessica Ennis-Hill: Forging a franchise dream team

I recently read Jessica Ennis-Hill’s autobiography, which was an inspirational and fascinating read. What came across strongly throughout was how fundamental Team Ennis was in helping Jessica achieve her gold Olympic medal in 2012. So I started thinking about the team of people I have around me at HomeXperts and how invaluable they’ve been in the success of our franchise.

Everyone needs a team of people backing them. Your home team, whether parents or partners, should be your biggest supporters. The home team roots for you – not causing stress or making life difficult. If the home team isn’t helping you move forward then it’s holding you back, which means it’s time for an attitude change.

Your employees can make a huge difference. If you’re starting your business from scratch then you can create a dream team by handpicking each member and building up a portfolio of relevant skills to help growth because every team needs variety – as tempting as it is to recruit mini me-type people. If you identify your strengths and weaknesses then you can recruit staff to fill in the gaps in your skills.

Recognising the contribution each team member makes is fundamental in running a happy business. While everyone’s input may be at a different level, every cog in the wheel is equally important. Whether the employee is the CEO or an apprentice, the business needs each worker to do the job to the best of their abilities. Getting the most out of every recruit and recognising what motivates them is a whole different skill-set and worth spending some time and effort on.

In my past corporate career, one of my duties was to talk to every team member at least once a week – no mean feat with 180 staff. But as a result, this high-performing, fast-growing business kept a constant finger on the pulse of the team. They considered the time spent well worth the effort and we created an amazing team spirit that helped the company become one of the fastest growing in the UK.

It may be a smaller team in your company but it’s still worth taking the time to discover what each individual’s ambitions are. Explore how these aspirations and goals can be channelled through the business for joint success.

Being part of a winning team is one of the best feelings at work. Creating team goals and a shared sense of purpose can be intoxicating. It will really help deliver a rewarding work experience for everyone involved and, like Team Ennis, ultimately we all want to be part of a winning team.” style=

ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Sussanne Chambers
Sussanne Chambers
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