For many modern businesses, tech teams are the backbone of operations. Business leaders can support their IT staff in many different ways, from allocating an adequate IT budget to recognizing and acknowledging tech employees. Here, 10 Young Entrepreneur Council members share ways to set up your tech department for success.
A business’s tech team plays a key role in the company’s ability to operate. What’s one way a business leader can better support their tech team so they can perform their job well?
1. Provide tech teams with necessary resources
One way a business leader can support their tech team is by providing them with the resources they need to do their job well. This might include things like adequate funding for new equipment or software, access to training and development opportunities, and a clear understanding of the company’s goals and priorities. Encouraging a positive work environment is also a must! —Andrew Saladino, Kitchen Cabinet Kings
2. Collaborate rather than delegate
Build relationships with your technology team and share overall business goals and problems that need solving, not just your requests and proposed solutions. If you share more context with your team, they’ll have a better understanding of the problems to solve, come up with more creative solutions, and be more bought into the end results. —Andrew Powell, Learn to Win
3. Allocate a budget
I have allocated a budget to my tech team every year that they can use freely to try various tools to make their jobs easier. It motivates the tech team to find better tools and also makes them feel more included in the company. We are a tech company, so our operational efficiency depends upon the efficiency of the tech team. —Piyush Jain, Simpalm
4. Use Slack and Calendly
A channel on Slack that’s specifically for tech issues will help other team members chime in to share their experiences. It allows for direct, real-time messaging so there are no back-and-forth emails, and communication is both streamlined and efficient. Calendly allows tech support to get on someone’s calendar for 15 minutes to do a screen share or get a two-factor authentication code. —Givelle Lamano, Lamano Law Office
5. Make the tech team feel included
Your tech team might feel that they’re playing a role off to the side, overlooked until needed. Make sure you maintain a strong relationship with your tech team. Make sure they know they play a key role in your company’s ability to operate smoothly. Don’t let them sit in the dark. Share goals and key issues. By understanding the bigger picture, they’ll be better equipped to offer creative solutions. —Blair Thomas, eMerchantBroker
6. Connect tech teams with customers directly
A business leader can support their tech team by allowing them to connect directly with customers when it comes to dealing with a customer’s website or other tech issues. Many times a business leader wants themselves or a salesperson to be the sole contact for the customer, but it becomes complicated when trying to convey technical messages and jargon. —Baruch Labunski, Rank Secure
7. Standardize the tools your tech team uses
You can support your tech team by ensuring everyone has the same tools and resources. Confusion will quickly ensue if everyone uses different tools and software to do the same job. We make sure our tech team has everything they need to do their best work. We are also open to requests if a team member has a tool that they think is better than what we currently use. —John Turner, SeedProd LLC
8. Set clear goals and be transparent
Business leaders can support their respective tech teams by setting clear goals and creating transparent workflows. This will help leaders clearly communicate their expectations of the team, set the right deliverables, and assess how the efforts of the team translate into outcomes. This also helps leaders fill the gap between what the tech team does and what the company wants them to do. —Chris Klosowski, Easy Digital Downloads
9. Give the team autonomy to make decisions
A business leader can better support their tech team by creating an atmosphere of trust and collaboration. This can be done by actively listening to their ideas and suggestions, and giving them autonomy to make decisions and take ownership of their work. —Andrew Munro, AffiliateWP
10. Support the team’s growth
A leader can better support their tech team by providing them with need-based training opportunities. Technology is an ever-changing field. So, this can help them be better at what they do and significantly increase productivity. Whether it’s a skill they wish to learn or a tool that makes their job easier, a leader should always be there for the team and help them grow. —Stephanie Wells, Formidable Forms