Any small business owner that expects to be successful needs to embrace teamwork and should bring in a number of different personalities into the strategic planning process. One point of reference small business owners can use when assembling their teams is Olympic gymnastics teams, which train for four years with a common goal in mind. Much like Olympians, members of a strategic planning team have to work together for the greater good of the squad as a whole. Small business owners can take what they saw from the Olympics and apply it to building their own team of superstars.

Encourage team unity
In the strategic planning process, small business owners have no use for team members that are constantly trying to one-up each other's ideas and look better than one another. Small business owners need to stress that the best teams are built around encouragement and unity. When strategic planning, team members should build off the ideas of others and collaborate on thoughts, which will normally lead to the best results.

Have a concrete goal in mind
Small business owners that have assembled a strategic planning team need to let their team know the goal of the business. Knowing the goals for the company will give team members greater insight into what the business owners want their firm to look like in the future.

Use the strengths of each team member
By bringing in a diverse team with a wide range of skills, small business owners will have a number of people with different professional strengths. Throughout the planning process, small business owners can take advantage of team members with accounting skills to aid in financial forecasting, while others that are strong leaders can take more vocal roles during strategic planning.

Inspire team members
Small business owners who are able to motivate staff are also the ones that tend to get the most out of their employees. Business owners should show that they believe in their employees, which can often help them strive to go above and beyond the call. With a team of hardworking staff members, small business owners have the opportunity to create a strong strategic plan.

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