How to align your internal teams

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When different departments all ‘speak the same language’, it can help a business to flourish. We asked experts and SME owners for advice on how to make it happen.

A butterfly flaps its wings in sales, says small business growth expert Stefano Maifreni, and a short time later there’s a tornado in production or customer service. It’s a poetic way to illustrate that when something happens in one department, it can have a dramatic effect on another.

For most SME owners, upheaval like this is not the life they signed up for – misaligned teams can lead to conflict, nasty surprises, dissatisfied clients and, in a worst-case scenario, the end of a company. Maifreni, founder of consultancy Eggcelerate, says it’s far better to make sure all of your departments are singing from the same hymn sheet.

“Everything begins with top management,” he says. “Staff are like children – they won’t do what you say, they’ll do what you do. They mimic your behaviour, so if you want teams that communicate with each other, make sure you talk to them. Have your chief marketing officer and head of sales work together in the right way.” This synergy, Maifreni says, will filter down through the ranks.

Maifreni believes that a clear vision, values and mission statement can help unify teams. When widely communicated, they will give every member of staff an unwavering idea of how they – and their colleagues – should operate.

Having a company-wide vision and values can stop bonus-driven sales teams from pursuing bad deals that production will struggle to meet, says Maifreni. They can eradicate awkward moments where customer service has to sweep up the mess made by a marketing team that made claims a product doesn’t deliver on. “But you also need the right people who can make this happen,” he says. “If you hire someone who is a ruthless high achiever who doesn’t care about their colleagues, you’re going to have a problem.”

Please read the full article on NatWest Content Live.

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