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4 Tips for Building Stronger Relationships Between IT and Non-Technical Teams
![4 Tips for Building Stronger Relationships Between IT and Non-Technical Teams 4 Tips for Building Stronger Relationships Between IT and Non-Technical Teams](https://articles.entireweb.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/08/4-Tips-for-Building-Stronger-Relationships-Between-IT-and-Non-Technical.jpg)
Opinions expressed by Entrepreneur contributors are their own.
Most companies have some form of dedicated IT management. According to a workforce survey, the common IT to non-technical staff ratio is typically around 4% of all personnel.
These IT individuals and departments often need to communicate with the other staffers throughout a company. From basic day-to-day activities to long-term collaborations, meeting deadlines and maintaining security, it’s important that the relationship between IT and the non-technical workforce is not just existent but effective.
If you’re aware of a lack of quality in your IT-related inter-departmental collaborations, here are four ways to enhance communication and build better professional relationships between technical and non-technical teams.
1. Establish and promote healthy communication
Communication cannot be overlooked in any business setting. As the workforce becomes more geographically diversified by distance and time zones, it’s important to maintain communication, not just with teams but between departments. This is ground zero, especially in an isolated area like IT.
One way to enhance communication is through regular cross-team meetings. Many companies hold recurring meetings where everyone comes together to hear company-wide updates and generally realign themselves. If the thought of a full company meeting sounds like a mammoth, intimidating and time-sucking use of resources, never fear. There are multiple ways you can implement this concept efficiently.
For instance, Zappos holds its well-known all-hands meetings three times a year. Spacing out these larger communal moments helps make them special.
If meeting is a problem in any quantity, you can go a different route: pre-recorded messages. If you choose this option, though, be warned that simple video messaging can become just as confusing and lengthy as a meeting. Instead, look for tools that help you send purposeful, value-centered messages.
Marketing platform Drift, for instance, used the communications tool Zight to improve its internal communication. The company used screen recorder technology to send annotated, knowledge-based videos to their employees. This organized and enhanced the purpose of each message, making it easier to reference later on without rewatching the entire thing.
The takeaway? Invest in some form of healthy cross-departmental communication that fits with your workflow.
2. Use jargon-free language
Removing jargon and technical terms from basic inter-departmental communication starts at the top. IT leaders must demonstrate how to remove dense language when talking, recording, typing and otherwise engaging with coworkers.
This isn’t just because leading by example is effective. It’s also because workplace jargon often finds its largest adherents in the upper echelons of a business. One study from MyPerfectResume found that 33% of those asked considered upper management to be the most likely to overuse workplace jargon.
Even worse? A third of those asked had also used jargon that they didn’t even understand. Use jargon-free language. It keeps communication transparent and avoids peer pressure and embarrassment from undermining effective understanding between IT and other teams.
Related: Here’s Why You Absolutely Have to Stop Using Jargon at Work
3. Bridge knowledge gaps with cross-functional training
Specialization and niche knowledge are defining factors for IT teams. Tech workers’ value comes from their ability to bridge the gap between humans and machines. However, this expertise isn’t as effective if the communication gap between IT staff and other personnel widens too far.
One way to keep all staff on the same playing field is to engage in cross-functional training. This is the process of educating employees from various departments in disciplines that are complementary to their own focus. It emphasizes shared knowledge and helps teams both respect and understand their respective duties in the larger context of business operations.
Google has mastered the art of cross-departmental training. On the one hand, the company famously used its whisper courses — a series of micro-lessons in email form — to teach small teamwork lessons. In addition, the search engine giant encourages employee-to-employee training. This shares knowledge in a peer-to-peer fashion and maintains a culture of learning.
Again, the takeaway here is that you don’t have to follow a formula for cross-departmental training. Find something that works for your setup, and then invest in it.
4. Cultivate a culture of inclusivity
Inclusivity is a common workplace culture goal. It emphasizes making all members of a workforce feel welcome. It seeks to embrace gender, age and other demographic differences and to incorporate the strengths of each individual and team into a company’s operations.
This is a powerful way to keep IT and non-technical personnel connected and respectful of one another’s contributions. As a central focus of how a company operates, an emphasis on empathy and respect helps keep those all-important communication channels open and healthy.
No company has demonstrated genuine, effective inclusivity in business activity quite as well as Pixar. The media company is famous for its ability to develop high-quality ideas and, at the same time, make sure everyone feels welcome and part of the conversation.
The company’s “Notes Days” are a poignant example. These are days when the entire company shuts down and comes together to collectively brainstorm. The result is some of the best inter-departmental collaboration in modern history.
If you want your tech and non-tech teams to connect, make them feel included.
Related: How to Build an Inclusive Culture That Permeates All Levels of the Organization
Breaking down barriers between IT and the rest of the professional work world
The IT department has become an integral part of most modern businesses. But it cannot operate in a vacuum. Miscommunications can lead to confused expectations, missed deadlines and even compromised safety and security.
It’s essential that leaders make an effort to align their IT and non-technical teams. This keeps everyone informed and up-to-date as you work together to achieve the same goal as a business.
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5 Ways Kamala Harris Can Support The Franchise Community
![5 Ways Kamala Harris Can Support The Franchise Community 5 Ways Kamala Harris Can Support The Franchise Community](https://articles.entireweb.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/08/5-Ways-Kamala-Harris-Can-Support-The-Franchise-Community.jpg)
Opinions expressed by Entrepreneur contributors are their own.
The five weeks between the Republican and Democratic conventions could have been a lifetime, as a brand-new Democratic ticket formed in record speed. As always, the International Franchise Association (IFA) is neutral in presidential elections and we will work with whoever is in the White House for the betterment of our model. Just as we were in Milwaukee for the RNC, we were on the ground in Chicago, educating candidates and campaigns about all the good franchising provides, especially for minority-owned businesses.
More highlights from championing franchising with lawmakers in Chicago at the #DNC2024. IFA is proud to work with members across the aisle on policies that support the franchise business model and its 9M employees in the U.S. pic.twitter.com/vexxskHpuK
— IFA (@Franchising411) August 21, 2024
Like many Americans, the franchise community is interested in learning more about Vice President Harris’ vision and policy priorities, which she characterized in her acceptance speech as an Opportunity Agenda. It is encouraging that one of her early commercials features her time working at McDonald’s. In fact, if elected, Harris, along with her husband Doug Emhoff, will share a common thread with the 1 in 8 Americans
who have worked at McDonald’s. To genuinely support the franchise business model, here are five concrete ways Vice President Harris can appeal to the franchise community.
Be a champion for franchising
First, Vice President Harris should be a champion for franchising and use every day on the campaign trail to visit franchises and meet their employees in swing states — and everywhere in between. Doing so will unlock franchising as a component of the Opportunity Agenda, including the unique benefits of franchising for all stakeholders involved in the model.
Those stakeholders are substantial — from the nearly 9 million employees who work for America’s 800,000 franchise businesses (and earn higher wages and better benefits than non-franchised employees) to the franchise owners themselves, who are more diverse in race and gender than non-franchises.
Abandon an expanded joint employer rule
Second, Vice President Harris talked at the DNC about working with business and labor. Yet, one of labor’s top priorities has been a joint employer rule that would effectively destroy franchising. A Harris administration that wants to support small business creation must abandon efforts to implement an expanded joint employer rule.
Bipartisan majorities in congress and a federal court have rejected expanding the joint employer test to include reserved and indirect control. Even Democratic supermajorities in the California legislature, and her home-state Governor Gavin Newsom, rejected joint employer liability. This created a pathway to negotiate a bill with organized labor that preserved franchisee equity in their business, and creating predictable increases in the minimum wage.
Call for pro-small business tax policies
Third, Vice President Harris should call for pro-small business tax policies, given the expired and expiring provisions of the Tax Cuts & Jobs Act (TCJA). These include extending the qualified business income deduction (QBID), also known as the section 199A deduction, and restoring a pro-growth interest deductibility standard that expired at the end of 2022.
Extending the 199A deduction, along with passing the bipartisan Tax Relief for American Families and Workers Act — which garnered overwhelming bipartisan support in the House this year — would greatly benefit franchise owners. This legislation would increase the amount of interest owners can deduct from their income taxes, offer temporary bonus depreciation for the purchase of equipment and short-lived capital assets and include other pro-business and pro-worker provisions.
These actions would provide small business entrepreneurs with a competitive edge over large corporations and demonstrate that Vice President Harris is committed to addressing the needs of the small business community. She can chart a new path and extend an open hand to the business community by putting the politics aside and commit to extending a policy they have come to rely on. Without action, every business owner in country wakes up on January 1, 2026, facing a tax increase.
Increase lending limits at the SBA
Fourth, increase lending limits at the Small Business Association (SBA) and boost access to the 7(a) Working Capital Pilot (WCP) program. During her acceptance speech, Harris pledged to, “provide access to capital for small-business owners and entrepreneurs and founders.” Launched earlier this year, WCP is a line of credit product that features an annual guaranty fee structure that works to offer greater flexibility than a traditional term loan to meet specific business needs.
Accessing capital is increasingly challenging in such a high-interest rate environment. The SBA pitched the concept as a means of breaking down barriers seeking to start their own pathway to entrepreneurship, where the franchise model is poised to continue playing a major role.
Outline a future for the Federal Trade Commission
Finally, Harris should outline a future for the Federal Trade Commission (FTC) that includes a modernization of the Franchise Rule, a federal regulation solely enforced by the FTC that governs the sale of a franchise. Currently under review by the FTC, the Franchise Rule hasn’t been updated since 2007 — the same year the first iPhone was introduced.
Research published in the Wall Street Journal showed it took more than 20 years of education to understand a Franchise Disclosure Document (FDD), and a federal investigation found many prospective franchisees did not read the disclosures at all. This needs to change, especially during the pre-sale process when a prospective franchisee is deciding whether to invest significant financial resources in a franchise.
A Harris administration would be wise to course-correct the FTC to foster entrepreneurial development in franchising and double-down on the true mission of the FTC — to protect consumers and prospective franchisees. The franchise business model encourages workforce development and small business formulation in local communities, we look forward to working with any administration and any political party toward that important goal.
Related: Is Franchising Right For You? Ask Yourself These 9 Questions to Find Out.
Matt Haller is the President and CEO of the International Franchise Association (IFA). Greg Flynn is the Founder, Chairman, and CEO of Flynn Group and Flynn Properties, and an IFA Board Member. With 2,700+ Applebee’s, Taco Bells, Paneras, Arby’s, Pizza Huts, Wendy’s and Planet Fitness units generating $4.7+ billion in sales and employing 75,000+ people in 44 states and 3 countries, Flynn Group is the largest franchise operator in the world.
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Why Being a More Generous Leader Will Create a More Successful Business
![Why Being a More Generous Leader Will Create a More Successful Business Why Being a More Generous Leader Will Create a More Successful Business](https://articles.entireweb.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/08/Why-Being-a-More-Generous-Leader-Will-Create-a-More.jpg)
Opinions expressed by Entrepreneur contributors are their own.
It’s a common perception of company culture; images of trendy startups with perks like swag, free snacks and nap pods often come to mind — a scene reminiscent of Google’s early days. However, for us at Market Veep, the value of “give generously” wasn’t initially formally part of our core ethos. It wasn’t until several years into our growth journey that we recognized something crucial was missing.
Here’s how we stumbled upon this realization: hiring experiences. We brought several individuals on board; it became swiftly apparent that their inclination towards generosity — be it with their time, knowledge or support for colleagues and clients — fell short of our expectations. It became a constant conversation, and we kept thinking, “shouldn’t this just be the standard of how people work with each other?” There was no denying that their values differed greatly from the company’s. It did not make them bad people, but they were not a company culture fit. That’s when it hit us: we needed to make “give generously” a core value formally. It’s now interwoven throughout our entire ecosystem..
One of my favorite interview questions is, “What is the last nice thing someone has done for you — and on the flip side, what is the last nice thing you have done to brighten someone else’s day?” Some things people have said that made my heart grow three sizes:
- Made homemade soup for their sick neighbor.
- They brought their roommate a lunch they had forgotten at home.
- Spent time with their elderly grandparents cleaning their house.
- Donating time to the local shelter.
For me, it’s not about the big gestures. It’s about the small details, the accumulation of many small “cares” that add to an embodiment of kindness and freely giving it. Similar to anniversaries, birthdays and holidays, they come around a couple of times a year — but wouldn’t you feel so special if every day felt like your birthday? Many companies we talk to say I’d love to do that, but I don’t have the budget for that. I’ll tell you a secret: it’s not about the money.
When we had no budget, we did things such as :
- Smiley balloons on employee appreciation day on everyone’s chair as a surprise when they come in.
- Post it notes on their computers.
- Take off your birthday paid time off.
- Bike rides around the complex.
- Pumpkin painting.
- Halloween contest.
- Valentine’s Day cards as a team to the people who lived at the senior center.
Here’s the beauty of it: many times, it’s the free things or minimal expenses that people end up valuing more, finding more profound connections with and building memories off of. There is a huge misconception about saving up to do one to two big things to show your team you love them, but think about all the time in between, months on end, without telling them you care. Would you not tell your kids you love them every day?
Now, things are different than before pandemic. We had a physical office, so the sky was the limit. Once the pandemic happened, it was a whole new evolution, and learning how to build a team, create happiness and give to them generously without physically being able to hand them something. It also introduced a new obstacle to measuring happiness through a computer screen. It’s a lot easier when you can read body language in person, notice if they are quieter throughout the day, etc., but when we started hiring all over the country, it made it a challenge. The pandemic taught us a lot about generosity and gratitude. As much as it was one of my most challenging times as a leader, it was also, by far, a period that taught me the most. I’ve seen the amazing character of people and their mental strength. Their ability to bind together to find solutions to difficult problems. Their kindness when there are difficult conversations. Their giving spirit when organizations barely had enough for themselves but still continued to support others.
Even when unsure of what would happen, we promised to continue giving generously because kindness always wins. Someone is always worse off, has more struggles, and needs something you may take for granted daily. Giving generously helps us stay humble and focus on others’ needs above our own. It reminds us we are fortunate.
- What it looks like now
- Flexible hours.
- 45 days off a year.
- Sabbatical and a bonus for longevity.
- Half-day Fridays.
- Cookies in the mail for spotlight moments.
- A 401k match.
- Bereavement.
- Personal time.
- Happy hour Fridays.
- Paid volunteer time off.
- Medical, dental, eye.
- Life insurance.
- Health advocate services.
- Work-from-home stipend.
- Paid training and certifications.
- Meditation as a team before the day starts.
It’s not always about presents — it’s also about understanding where someone is in life. Your team shows up to help each other and the company, but it is not the driving factor of their life. When you see someone struggling, it’s more impactful to say, “Hey, how can I help? It seems like you have a lot going on. It’s just work. We’re not heart surgeons. Please get offline and take care of XYZ.” We’ve had people want to come in a day after a family member passed away, work from their family vacation or take meetings from a hospital. Respect and protect your team’s time, mental health, and boundaries. Give generously to them, and they give generously to your company, your team and your clients. Be their advocate even when they think work is more important.
Have you considered what your team needs to live a generous life? What makes them feel appreciated? How can your company build deeper relationships and help them live their best lives? Think about the moments in your life where you felt the most cared for, supported and ultimately most appreciated. Because no one ever says, “I want to work someplace where I don’t feel appreciated.” Then, take it one step further and ask your team. Start a dialogue, and you’ll be amazed at how creative and thoughtful the ideas will be. Keep your focus on giving generously, and you can’t go wrong.
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5 Ways Startup Founders Can Become Team Players and Grow Their Businesses
![5 Ways Startup Founders Can Become Team Players and Grow Their Businesses 5 Ways Startup Founders Can Become Team Players and Grow Their Businesses](https://articles.entireweb.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/08/5-Ways-Startup-Founders-Can-Become-Team-Players-and-Grow.jpg)
Opinions expressed by Entrepreneur contributors are their own.
As a seasoned performance coach with over two decades of experience working with business owners, I have witnessed how frustrated many business owners are that their startup isn’t growing as quickly as it should or seems to have stagnated in its growth. One common factor that often stands out for such entrepreneurs is their lack of the attributes of team players.
Your business can only grow to the extent that your abilities as a team player grow, and my experience has shown that cultivating the following five attributes can make you a team player who is well-positioned to see your business grow.
1. Welcome and build on your team’s ideas
As a business founder, you may have the burning desire to bring your vision for the business to reality, but business success will not entirely depend on you alone. You need input from your team, and their ideas can be the difference between mediocre business performance and successful steering of the business to higher levels.
Create opportunities for team members to share their ideas. Brainstorming sessions, weekly meetings and problem-solving sessions can be fertile grounds to get input from the team. Evaluate the ideas generated and find ways to implement those that show the potential to advance the goals of the business.
2. Coach your team
Google did a study and found that the best managers and leaders have coaching skills. However, most people confuse coaching with mentoring. Coaching and mentoring are not the same. Coaching is about unlocking the potential in your team. Mastering coaching skills enables you to do that.
As the founder, you may also have the expertise and experience that your team members lack, which means you’re more likely to mentor or “tell them” how to do it rather than coach them.
Coaching builds confidence, empowers your team to take on more responsibility, improves problem-solving skills and builds loyalty. The more you coach your team, the more your business will operate as a team effort rather than a one-person show. You’ll not only have a high-performing team, but you’ll also have a high-value team. Double win!
Related: Be a Mentor: 4 Simple Ways to Change a Life
3. Adjust your pace to accommodate your team
This is where the rubber hits the tarmac! Many founders have a burning desire to bring their dream to life “yesterday” and are extremely impatient when their team isn’t moving at the pace they’d like. At this point, you ask yourself two critical questions: Did I hire the right people? Do I consistently share my vision and mission so everyone is clear about the direction of the firm?
I often tell clients that it may not be possible for their entire team to move at the same blistering pace that the founder is wired for, and it might be necessary for the founder to pump the brakes a little so the team can move at the same pace. This is a hard pill for many founders to swallow, but reminding them that they are not a one-person army allows them to be more accommodating and better able to foster teamwork in the business.
I am not advocating for letting your employees set the pace of the company. If you hire the right people and coach them regularly, chances are that while they may not move at supersonic speed, they will follow your lead and move at an above-average pace.
I always give this incident, which I witnessed while visiting a client’s restaurant for a follow-up session. The assistant manager was always pushing her direct reports to work at a blistering pace. The manager had cautioned the assistant to always give a particular employee their tasks in advance so they can accomplish them within a spread-out timeframe. This particular employee was known to be very thorough in anything they do, but if pushed to work at a pace greater than they could manage, they were more likely than not to do extremely shoddy work.
The assistant manager neglected this important piece of information and one time asked that employee to chop some ingredients and kept hovering over the shoulder of the employee nudging them to work faster. Pushed beyond their limits, the employee nearly lost four fingers when, in a bid to work fast, they ended up accidentally cutting through those fingers. I rushed in with the manager when we heard horrified screams coming from the kitchen, and after the ambulance left with the injured employee, the manager called the assistant to a private corner and gently reminded them about the caution of not pushing that particular employee to work at a faster pace than they were capable of.
The message? Sometimes, it is helpful to slow down a little so that you can move with the entire team.
Related: Are You Hiring a ‘Team’ Player – or Someone Just Looking out for No.1?
4. Share recognition for any successes attained
Another important tip I give startup founders is that they can become team players who enjoy more than decent business growth on an ongoing basis by sharing recognition for the successes they attain. When you put your team at the center of all success, their motivation and loyalty grow, and they become invested in achieving the firm’s goals.
Related: Which Do You Need: A Coach or a Consultant or a Trainer? Here’s How to Know.
5. Consult the team frequently
Make it a habit to consult your team members frequently. This can be when there are challenges that need to be fixed, when opportunities arise or when planning the next steps or direction of the business. Don’t be the founder who keeps their cards close to the chest and only issues instructions without involving their team.
As you implement the tips above, you will notice that your team will galvanize around the organization’s goals and mission, and your company will be better positioned to weather any storm. Teams always find a way to win.
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