When most people think of a successful or powerful business, a cutthroat environment is often what comes to mind. But fear shouldn’t be the fuel that your small business runs on. Your company grows steadily when your people share a team mentality, with everyone having a clear role and goal to guide them.

Here are three ways to build and maintain strong teams in your small business.

1. Make Roles Your Top Priority

The best teams are incredibly selective about who gets to join them. No matter how long it takes, invest time in developing a thorough recruitment process. Having a clear, compelling reason for bringing someone on your team ensures its success.

Adopting this attitude toward new hires helps you avoid high turnover because prospective employees will be in it for the long haul. They’ll be more interested in learning everything they can because they know you’ll keep them around as long as they’re the right fit. Moreover, this long-term strategy ends up costing you less over time.

2. Value Each Member’s Role

With each member of your team having a specialized role, the next step is to treat each member as essential. You want everyone to have the sense that their job matters. No member should ever question why they’re there. It’s a well-known fact that a strong sense of purpose fuels excellent performance.

Employees draw a sense of security from knowing that their role in your small business is not only necessary but also valued. Such employees are more likely to completely buy into your company mission and feel like they have a personal stake in the success of the business.

3. Set Up Effective Communication Systems

The only way for your team members to know that you value their role is if you effectively communicate your appreciation. It’s easy to feel like part of the team when you’re always kept in the know about important team information.

Similarly, your team runs smoothly when each member fills in the rest of the team on the progress in their individual role. Maintaining transparency is essential even if the information doesn’t directly concern each team member. Take time to identify collaboration software and office layouts that let your employees share and create value at peak productivity.

Make sure each team member has a voice during periodic check-in meetings. Bring your people closer to projects and keep them engaged by asking them their opinions.