Lean
Tip #1651 – Build Trust in Organizational Leadership.
People
crave transparency, openness, and honesty from their leaders. Unfortunately,
business leaders continue to face issues of trust. According to a survey by the
American Psychological Association, one in four workers say they don’t trust
their employer, and only about half believe their employer is open and upfront
with them. If leaders disengage or refuse to share their own ongoing learning
journeys, how can they expect their people to enthusiastically pursue theirs?
It’s the old adage of “lead by example.” If managers want employees to engage
in learning and development, then they need to show that they are actively
pursuing their own personal learning journeys as well.
Lean
Tip #1652 – Provide Constant Feedback on the Positives
When
people know what they’re doing well, they’ll keep doing it – or, even better,
do more of it. Providing someone with a little recognition on what they’re
doing well can go a long way toward boosting morale. This is not to say “ignore
the weaknesses” – just don’t make the weaknesses the only focus area of
feedback. This doesn’t mean you should not create accountability, it actually
means the opposite – but, if all you do is criticize, people will learn how to
hide their mistakes or shift blame.
Lean
Tip #1653 – Collaborate and Share on Problem-Solving with Your Employees
When
employees get the idea that their manager or leader is the one who has to solve
all the problems, it takes away from their sense of empowerment, and ultimately
is likely to decrease engagement over time. Encourage team members to take
responsibility, and work through problems or issues on their own, or
collaboratively. It’s not the manager’s job to fix everyone else’s problems.
Lean
Tip #1654 – Develop “Soft-skills”
It’s
unfortunate that these vital skills have been de-emphasized in corporate
environments. Even the name “soft skills” makes them seem relatively
unnecessary. Emotional intelligence at work is just as important as the
intellectual know-how required to perform a specific task. Self-awareness,
self-regulation, motivation, empathy and social skill all play a vital role in
effective leadership and execution at all levels of the organization. When the
team is in harmony, work gets done more efficiently and with greater ease.
Lean
Tip #1655 – Provide Plenty of Context
Most
leaders carry lots of information in their brains. Unfortunately, many
employees don't get the benefit of all that information, yet they are expected
to take action and make good decisions as if they understood every nuance.
Great leaders figure out how to extract the important information from their
minds and share it in a structured and consistent manner. An employee who clearly
understands the core values, purpose and direction of the company can easily
make consistent decisions and take appropriate action at any junction. It's on
you as the leader to impart your vision. That's how you lead.
Lean
Tip #1656 - Appreciate Your Team Members’ Efforts
Only
by appreciating others and making your team members aware of the importance of
their role can you drive your team towards success. Engage all your team
members by sharing information relevant to your project and recognizing their
participation through regular feedback.
Besides this, reward all members of the team for achieving specific
goals to motivate them and make them more committed towards the project or the
company.
Lean
Tip #1657 - Facilitate Idea Sharing
Set
up either physical or virtual work spaces to enable team members to get
together to brainstorm, share ideas, or discuss progress on projects. An
open-work environment is not always appropriate for team discussions, so you
might need outdoor or remote spaces in the workplace to facilitate team
meetings.
Lean
Tip #1658 - Discuss Team Dynamics on a Regular Basis
Encourage
open communication during team meetings to discuss team dynamics in order to
make your team more effective and productive. Invite ideas and suggestions as
to how team members could elevate teamwork to achieve specific goals. These
discussions should always be used as a chance to improve team dynamics rather
than criticizing someone in front of other team members.
Lean
Tip #1659 - Welcome Questions, Suggestions, and Comments
Encourage
everyone on the team to put forward their ideas, suggestions, and feedback
regarding the project to identify and correct issues and increase the
effectiveness of the team in a timely manner. Remember that all great ideas and
improvements come up through questions or by looking at a situation from a
different perspective, so encourage all types of input from each team member.
Lean
Tip #1660 - Provide Learning Opportunities
By
offering training or providing learning opportunities on an ongoing basis, you
can strengthen team members’ skills and capabilities for consistent growth and
development. Also, you can assign mentors or hire an external professional
coach to develop specific skills and competencies within the team as well as
individuals.
Lean
Tip #1661 - Share The Vision With Your Team
The
most important element of teamwork is sharing a common vision so that everyone
can work together toward it. When everyone on your team knows your goals and
vision, they better understand their role in realizing it.
Don’t
be shy about communicating your true vision and goals to your team. Do you hope
to be the best in your neighborhood? In the world? Do you want to provide the
best experience for every customer that walks through your doors? Tell your
employees, so they can all look to your vision for guidance and inspiration.
Lean
Tip #1662 - Share Information With Your Team
No
one likes to be kept in the dark, and withholding information from team members
is a surefire way to create confusion and resentment among team members. It can
also create competitive undercurrents in your organization, which is the
antithesis of teamwork.
Be
clear with everyone on your team about new information as it relates to your
business and your goals. Your staff will appreciate being kept in the loop, and
more importantly, it sends the message that you value and respect their place
in the organization.
Lean
Tip #1663 – Empower Your Team
When
it comes to teamwork, one of the most detrimental forces is a management team
that micromanages. A team functions best when they are empowered to make
important decisions and complete the critical tasks that move an organization forward.
In
some cases, you may need to be overt about empowering your team. Tell them that
you expect and encourage them to be self-starters, to take tasks on themselves
and to complete things without typical “approvals” (if possible). By doing so,
you’re sending a message of trust and respect to everyone on your team.
Lean
Tip #1664 – Listen to Your Team
As
a manager, hopefully you’ve been able to build a culture of openness and
feedback with your team. And since you’ve done so, you’re hopefully hearing the
highs and lows of employee experience on a regular basis.
The
important thing when it comes to feedback is not to glaze over or dismiss it.
Your responsibility is to listen and really hear the feedback your employees
have so you can address it in a way that improves the team dynamic. Be patient,
and make sure your employees know that you’re there to listen and help whenever
they need you.
Lean
Tip #1665 - Clarify Roles and Responsibilities on Your Team
It’s
tough to work well together when you don’t understand how someone’s role is
different (or similar) to your own. Clarifying roles is an essential part of
running a well-functioning team.
It’s
important to be proactive in outlining team roles. If you wait for questions to
arise, it means you’re losing critical productivity and team-building
opportunities. As you outline new goals for your team, make sure you’re also
outlining each member’s role and responsibilities in reaching those goals -
either in a meeting, or one-on-one with each person.
