4 Ways to Create Accountability in Your Wedding Business
Building a great team in your wedding business is about more than just hiring the right people. Instead, searching for the best candidate is only the beginning of an ongoing exercise in leadership and delegation. A teamโs performance is defined by an organizationโs culture and its leaderโs ability to drive the company toward its goals while valuing the strengths of its employees.
Whether youโre considering your first hire or youโre a seasoned manager looking to optimize your team, all leaders should aim to cultivate an environment that prioritizes honesty and accountability.
But โaccountabilityโ can go wrong โ particularly if you arenโt speaking to your team membersโ strengths and weaknesses. Great leaders know that accountability isnโt about pointing fingers but rather owning oneโs actions and always striving for improvement.
As you grow your wedding business, use these four strategies to develop a team that is engaged and ready to show up for your clients without fail.
Set expectations from the start.
The best time to talk about accountability is before an employment contract is signed! Discuss team expectations throughout the hiring process, outlining responsibilities for the position and providing a clear picture of what success means for their potential role.
Explain the communication hierarchy in your company, who they can look to for direct support, and how to solve problems on their own. Then, after finalizing the hire, continue the conversation into the onboarding process and confirm that youโve answered all lingering questions before letting them step fully into their role.
Keep communication lines open.
Annual reviews are an excellent way to provide feedback, but most people need progress check-ins more than once a year. Otherwise, they may feel uncertain about their performance and hesitant to ask for help.
By scheduling regular check-ins with employees, you leave a space open for them to bring questions and concerns to the forefront and a chance to evaluate progress, making suggestions they can implement right away. In addition, an open-door policy facilitates a more effective feedback loop, ensuring your team is constantly improving rather than waiting for an annual meeting to know how theyโre doing.
Avoid micromanaging.
Nobody likes to be micromanaged, as it removes an employeeโs sense of ownership in their job and ends up wasting time for everyone. Nitpicking at someoneโs work also prevents them from being accountable for their performance, as the onus ultimately lands on you when youโre controlling every little detail.
Let your team members make mistakes โ itโs how they will learn and grow as valuable assets in your business. Think about it: When you mess up in your company, you commit to being better because you know itโs your responsibility to show up for your customers. So allow your employees to overcome the same challenges and accept those hard lessons! It may be hard to sit back and watch, but they will be better for it in the long run.
Celebrate staff wins.
Accountability isnโt just about owning up to oneโs slip-ups; leaders must also hold them responsible for their successes! Donโt let anyoneโs excellent performance go under the radar โ and that goes for personal and professional achievements. Show them how proud you are of their life wins, just as you would commend them for their sales numbers.
Itโs worth noting that there are many ways to recognize someoneโs accomplishments, and you may need a different approach throughout your team. For example, one person may appreciate an afternoon off as a reward for reaching a big goal, while another prefers a gift card as a โthank youโ bonus. Spend some time learning your employeesโ love languages and how they accept praise best, so you can show them how much you appreciate their contributions to your business!
A successful team is one made up of individuals who recognize the value they offer to the business while addressing mistakes quickly and without conflict. But in order for employees to feel comfortable taking ownership of their actions, they need a leader to show them the way!
Nora Sheils is the co-founder of Rock Paper Coin, the first software platform to bring together wedding planners, couples, and vendors into one system for managing and paying contracts and invoices. She is also the founder and lead wedding planner of award-winning firm Bridal Bliss. In addition to recognition by Portland Business Journal in its 40 Under 40 series, she also earned a spot in The BizBash 500 for 2021.
