Team Spirit

W​hen fall arrives, football fans ignite. Words like Fantasy Football, tailgating, and your favorite teams' tee shirts, hats, and colors become a part of the fall season, hopefully going into college bowls or NFL Playoffs. What you don't see is behind the scenes. Coaches, quarterbacks, offensive and defensive, fans, cheerleaders, and even sports announcers all fan the flames of a team's success. 
Like a coach, the business owner bears a lot of responsibility. It's up to you to oversee the coordination, the education, the instruction, and the follow-throughs, all while motivating your team when the chips are down. As a coach, it's up to you to ensure the game plans (marketing), tactics (sales), and inspiration are well-directed. Also, does the business flow? Do you use tools such as Flue & Hearth Notes™ Chimney Inspection Forms? (Our Short forms are a Do-Confirm quick checklist of Level 1 & 2 inspection items. You do the work and check off or confirm your work. The Long Forms are Read-Do Checklists. You read the questions and then inspect (do) the evaluation. They are in a fillable PDF format, also following Levels 1 & 2). 
Who is your quarterback? Is it the chimney technician who inspires, leads, and makes snap decisions in your absence or as they are empowered? The quarterback may also be the person who handles customer complaints or tricky jobs. Who is the right person to wear the jersey?
Your offensive team may consist of strategic members, including chimney sweeps, technicians, and office staff. These people are usually the first-line players who communicate with the customer. It could be the team member answering the phone or the chimney sweep outlining the defects and offering a corrective solution. Do they work in coordination, passing your customers smoothly through your system?
The defensive team comprises employees who counter the competition's effects or angry customers. Is there a person whose job is to monitor social media so an agitated customer can be cared for quickly before they explode on your sites? Is there someone to keep an eye on your competitor? Another part of the defensive team may be the person who arrives at a job scene if work isn't going well. This person may be the one to call the cleaning company, talk to the customer about changes to the game plan, or work with the building inspector for approval.
Cheerleaders are happy customers that give positive ratings on your social media and website. This group is essential! They are the people who can provide you with a positive social media presence, give good recommendations, quotes, and ratings for your marketing team, and be the best source for obtaining new customers. Do you reward the cheerleaders? Although it isn't necessary, I know of one business giving a $15 gift certificate to a popular sandwich restaurant for each referral that becomes a customer. Another popular gift certificate area is the local coffeehouse.
Sports Announcers represent the businesses you can utilize to promote your business, such as local papers, websites, TV Stations, small advertising venues in church bulletins, school events, etc. The sports announcer builds credibility. They may not be a part of your team, but they are all avenues to use to promote your business. Don't forget to market your company through the graphics on your van and where it is parked during lunch. A QR Code on your graphics could help direct them to your website quickly as they wait for the traffic light to change or to pick up their lunch.
​Team spirit is essential to a winning team, but it takes everyone to create a winning team. It starts with the coach's inspiration, direction, support, and guidance. It's up to them to provide the atmosphere and opportunities for their employees to grow and succeed. This positivity and grit trickle down to everyone on the team, stressing the importance of being a part of something bigger – building the business by doing the job right and working together to create growth opportunities for individuals and the team. 

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A morning or weekly huddle encourages sharing information about jobs, customer challenges, and follow-through.