EDUCATE
THIS MONTH LEE BESTALL DISCUSSES HOW TO SUCCESSFULLY BUILD AND MANAGE A TRIBE IN ORDER TO DEVELOP YOUR BRAND’S IDENTITY AND CREATE A STRONG, LIKE-MINDED WORKFORCE
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reating or developing a company is generally a lengthy process, and building a team that works is often one of the biggest challenges. As business owners, we all believe that absolutely nobody in the world can do things as well as us, but unfortunately most people don’t understand why. Let’s strip this subject back and view it from a simpler perspective. Business is a game – in fact, I’ve heard it being referred to as a ‘sport for intelligent people’ (not my words), and to play a game and win, you have to surround yourself with a team of people who all want to win too. Most importantly, these people must also want to win by playing by the same rules as you. Many relationships break down between contractors, staff and clients, because the rules of the game were not clear. Imagine, you’re all trying to play the same game with different rules – there’s no wonder some players will become frustrated, angry or disengaged. So, let’s begin by identifying what winning looks like, feels like or sounds like. Having a
B U I L D I N G & M A N AG I N G
YO U R T R I B E clear vision which can be shared and understood easily is the first task, followed by identifying your rules of the game. No one likes to be micro-managed, so having a simple goal that everyone understands is key. The next thing to do is identify what’s important to you and
YOUR BRAND IS YOUR TRIBE’S IDENTITY AND A CLEAR BRAND WITH A CONSISTENT MESSAGE WILL ATTRACT PEOPLE WHO SHARE THE SAME VALUES AS YOUR TRIBE your team, then you can define a list of rules. Most of us want to be part of a tribe – share views with like-minded people, be accepted, understood, loved and nurtured. Even those who rebel against tribes fall into their own
tribes, which themselves are full of people who have rebelled against other tribes! Your brand is your tribe’s identity, and a clear brand with a consistent message will attract people who share the same values as your tribe. Over the past few years, I’ve found that the more you promote the values of your tribe, the better the ‘fit’ of your customers, contractors and team members, because they want to become part of it too. Just one word of warning though: never force people into your tribe. If people are willing to ‘grow’ into your tribe, then great. But in my experience, trying to get someone to fit into your tribe when their values are clearly not the same as yours will not end well. I have worked with contractors and team members in the past who don’t share my true vision and values. At first, it just feels like friction and frustration, but it later transpires that the jarring of core values is not a sustainable way to progress in business. A successful tribe shouldn’t need too much management as long as there is good training, simple and regular communication, a clear goal, robust processes and, most of all, shared values. So, if you haven’t yet identified what these are in your business, now is the time to define them with your tribe.
A B O U T L E E B E S TA L L Lee Bestall has been designing and managing the construction of gardens in his signature style for more than 10 years – and his honest, genuine passion is infectious. He regularly writes gardening and outdoor-style articles for magazines, is brand ambassador for Spear & Jackson and a stand-in presenter for BBC Radio Sheffield’s Gardeners’ Question Hour.
www.bestall.co.uk
www.prolandscapermagazine.com
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