TCMBA #1 - Turn the Team You Have into the Team Your Coffee Business Needs
Let’s deep dive on your existing team’s competencies, interests, and career goals. Then, assess how those fit into your business.
This will save you time ⏰ and money 💸 in the future.
Your thinking will change and your business will soar!
Many leaders hire people just like them.
This leads to Competency Clustering.
These clusters of skills often over-emphasize coffee skills and under-emphasize finance skills, for example.
If you’re lucky enough to have a business-savvy person on your team, they may actually languish. Those lone voices who don’t feel a part of the crew will have high turnover.
High Turnover = High Cost
It takes the team’s time and energy to backfill.
Spend those hours reaching your goals, not playing catch-up.
An A-Team isn’t assembled by luck. It is built with intention and forethought.
Here’s a plan for how to get the most out of the team you have and start building toward the team your business needs.
Side note: Do not do this through whispers and secrets. It is an opportunity for your team to get excited about their strengths and challenges.
Know your team well. If you don’t personally, ask them, their peers, their direct reports, and their manager. Again, this could and should be a fun exercise!
1️⃣ List out what everyone on the team gravitates toward. What do they work on without any direction?
Training programs and curriculum?
Telling everyone they meet about how awesome your business is?
Gaining a following on their own social media channels?
Documenting processes?
Project management?
2️⃣ Identify the gaps in your business. What are the highest priority items that will get you the furthest?
Do you need structure and a repeatable process in your roasting operations?
Does your team lack the spreadsheet and modeling skills to use your data to your advantage?
Do you need to reach a wider audience to grow?
Do you need someone to guide departments through a project from start to finish?
3️⃣ How can you match up who you have with what you need? Consider internal partnerships or a buddy-system to help get things done.
Is your coffee roaster always on the latest and greatest social media? Connect them with the marketing team for a learning session on the best way to optimize on TikTok.
Do you have a barista with a Finance degree? See if they’d like to build some spreadsheet models for the team to use.
Have a cafe manager who is a stickler for processes? Team them up with your Roasting team to write SOPs for every process that’s working.
4️⃣ Next, think about traditional org charts and business departments. Do you notice any gaps that could help your business? Are there ways to even out the balance on your team?
If yes, this becomes your hiring plan.
If funds are short, consider a short-term contractor to test out the value you get from adding this role to the team.
If you have the budget, create the job description with a focus on the gaps you found in your team.
BONUS: Ask for and listen for areas your team would like to grow into. Consider if there are ways to support them in achieving those goals. This is great for them, great for your business, and great for retention.
By using this strategy, you’ll make major strides in having a more impactful team.
You’ll also get everyone working on the business.
You’re bringing the crew together for a common purpose, which will serve as a shot-in-the-arm for their engagement.
When you’re ready for help, here’s how we can work together:
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