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Creating higher workflow standards, and accountability across the board, empowers everyone to strive for success. When you are overseeing a company that depends 100% on remote workers and contractors, it's important to develop a transparent operating system that requires each stakeholder to remain accountable for their workflow.  In addition, building stronger team relations that are not solely focused on work-related issues is essential to enhancing a business environment that fosters support with higher-performance levels, comradery, and genuine trust.  Here are 15 ways that Fast Company Executive Board members have improved their management methods to keep their organization and processes running smoothly between leaders and their direct reports.

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When you're a small business owner tasked with juggling multiple areas of the company, it can seem intimidating at times because you want your business to be a success in the industry. You can reach short- and long-term goals by focusing on your own personal strengths. It's best to strategically delegate tasks to key team members because this will allow them to develop and grow professionally. To avoid burnout across the organization, it's also essential to keep your staff's bandwidth in mind from the very beginning. Don't be afraid to outsource other duties as needed. By doing so, your entire staff can focus on what truly matters in efforts to move the business forward one step at a time. New to entrepreneurship and feeling overwhelmed about the business challenges that lie ahead in an uncertain market? Here are 12 experts from Fast Company Executive Board to share their best-kept practices for overcoming the obstacles of running a start-up.

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Here are 10 tips to help leaders decide on the best next steps to level-up business. If you're looking to upgrade your company's image or improve on the pattern of behaviors it is widely known for in the marketplace up until now, there are plenty of factors to evaluate before making a decision to promote the rebranding of your business. Be clear on what it is that you truly plan to accomplish and why. Then do your research even further to make sure it's the right plan of action for you now and if now is the best time to do it. By examining these few points, you'll be setting your team up for successful wins each time.  Fast Company Executive Board members advise leaders on how to start with just some minor adjustments to improve your business effectively before moving on to invest in a major overhaul that you may not be prepared for to move forward with as quickly. 

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Embolden your introverted employees to make their voices heard. When you are leading a diverse group of employees who vary in personality, learning styles, and how they participate in the business settings, it's important to tune in to their needs and make sure your entire team is feeling valued in the workplace and given ample opportunities to be heard. Developing multiple lines of communication to enable feedback from every employee on your team is ideal. Doing this will help guide your decision-making process and build on those team suggestions to move the company one step forward in the marketplace.  Below, 12 Fast Company Executive Board members share ideas to encourage introverted team members to speak up during group collaborations, or their preferred method of communication. This is key if you want to avoid always hearing from the same extroverted contributors.

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Here's why cultivating a brand is more than just advertising. With the internet in our hands, there's so much at stake when it comes to attracting and retaining clientele. Today's consumers are bold and savvy about researching the specific products they intend to purchase and they don't have a problem calling a brand name out over social media regarding its lack of transparency about its merchandise, services, or a timely topic that could affect the bottom line.  At the end of the day, If a company falls short on delivering a marketing promise, seems out of touch with its target audience, or strays away from its original core values, chances are it runs the risk of losing respect and loyalty of its major stakeholders.  Below, 16 members of Fast Company Executive Board offer tips on how to walk your talk—internally and externally—and why it's so important.

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13 tips to improve your social engagement skills and build better alliances. How do you define the art of networking? Is it a stepping stone to close your next business deal, or are you intentional about nurturing new relations that will build a pathway and benefit all? A panel of experts from Fast Company Executive Board agree that being an active listener—focused less on brand promotion and more focused on following through on promises made—is key to leaving a great impression on potential clients and colleagues in the long term.  Below, the 13 council members share how by changing bad habits formed in social settings, they've also created more meaningful connections.