Tips For Getting The Best From Your Team in Business
There are many different ways to be a great leader. One thing that all good leaders have in common is the ability to get the best from their team, no matter what obstacles they may face.
Here we will explore 8 tips for being a great leader and getting the most out of your team members.
1. Set Clear Goals
The first thing that every leader should do is to set a clear goal. This will enable each member of the team to know what they are working towards and how it connects with other members’ efforts. In order for this process to work, all goals need to be communicated clearly, as well as having supportive leadership from those who have been assigned responsibility for achieving them.
2. Provide Feedback
As much as possible, these leaders need to provide feedback in relation to their progress on this task so that there’s an understanding about whether or not success has been achieved. This is especially important if the team member is underperforming, if you don’t address and guide them onto the right path, you set them up for further failure.
3. Be Transparent
Ensure transparency when setting priorities and making decisions – this means being open about why certain choices were made while others weren’t pursued further. No matter where people sit within your company hierarchy levels, if they are trusted with the information and knowledge of decisions within the business, they will feel valued within the company and are more likely to perform better for you.
4. Plan Ahead
This may seem like an obvious one, but it’s still important. Leaders need to plan ahead and make sure they are setting themselves up with enough time in the day to get done what needs to be done – without wasting any of that precious time on pointless activity. A clear plan will help keep your team aligned and on target, with knowledge of what’s up ahead.
5. Empower Team Members To Make Decisions And Solve Problems
There will always be times when difficult decisions need making or problems arise which require solving and being a leader a lot of these decisions will land with you. Of course, you may have final say on big decisions, but if you empower your team to problem solve and make their own decisions with confidence, you’ll prevent minor problems becoming your burden. If your team feels confident in their ability to make the right choice, you’ll spend less time micromanaging.
6. Don’t Micromanage Your Employees
It can be hard to let go and trust your team will do their job without you needing to micromanage them, but if you don’t trust them to do their job, why did you hire them? If you are competent enough to delegate, why not let go? Your own workload will be greatly reduced and your team will thrive on the responsibility you have given them.
Make sure your team is fully briefed on what needs doing and has everything they need to do it, as well as the necessary amount of time allotted for them to complete it. Then let them get on with their job!
7. Build And Maintain A Good Working Relationship With Your Team Members
The best way to deal with problems arising from miscommunication or communication breakdowns is prevention rather than cure. The simplest thing that can be done here is building relationships with those around us so we know how they work and think on an everyday basis – even when things get difficult.
Of course, you still need to manage them so there will be some boundaries, but if you build a good working relationship where they feel confident they can approach you, ask questions, and talk problems through, you’ll put out fires before they start.
8. Encourage Your Employees To Show Initiative
When you are leading a team, you need to know that they have the initiative and ability to do their tasks and take them to the next level. This also makes employees more reliable which means less time spent managing people as well as happier staff members who feel valued.
The best way to encourage initiative is by giving your team opportunities where they can show what they’re capable of – without micromanaging them at every stage. This will give them the opportunity to shine while still staying within boundaries and limits set out by your leadership.
