As a leader, you know the importance of ensuring your team members keep delivering exceptional work, continue meeting deadlines, and remain dedicated to their work. However, achieving that does not always come easy. It is something that you have to work hard at. That means you must set aside enough time to cultivate your employees’ talents, know their strong points, and create an environment that fosters everyone to rise to their best selves.
I often find with my clients that have built teams that one of the main reasons their business is failing or moving at a slow pace is that the spirit of teamwork does not exist in their brand culture. This is often because of a leader who struggles unconsciously with knowing how to lead. Now, don’t get me wrong. Many times, you may have tried getting everyone on their toes and you may have tried delegating work and giving out instructions on time, but just as many times this has not yielded the results you desire. Then, you become disheartened and frustrated because success with your team seems out of reach.
This is because simple doing any of those things does not work, it can only work if you do it right. For instance, giving out instructions alone is not enough. It will only be enough when you begin giving out clear instructions and communicating effectively with everybody. Ensuring your team delivers exceptional work is not a walk in the park, and it takes a commitment to consistent action on your pat, but it can be done.
Best ways of bringing out the best in a team:
1. Create an environment that encourages creativity.
Your business will grow and flourish the way you want it to if you create an atmosphere that has deliberate opportunity for your team to think independently and be creative. This creates an environment of pro-activity and team members who are innovative in their problem-solving capabilities. If you instead always take the position that you are the one to give out orders and do the thinking for everyone, they will continue to rely solely upon you and not rise to the occasion themselves. Try delegating different roles to different people and then step back for a while to allow them to come up with ways of tackling the work on their own. Trust me, you will not be disappointed.
The upside of encouraging independent thinking and creativity is that it renews self-confidence and it shows the people you are working with how valuable to the assigned task and to the team as a whole. It will without a doubt keep them enthusiastic and excited about their work. You also discover talents and capabilities of your teammates that would have remained otherwise untapped and disengaged.
2. Set goals and monitor progress without micro-managing.
Stepping back and allowing your staff to complete their tasks using methods that are more convenient to them does not mean you have to completely forget about the delegated work and wait for the results to come in. It means you have to check in with your team now and then and monitor progress without controlling every aspect of the work in progress. It allows you to keep them focused on the end game and goal, instead of getting caught up in the minutia.
This can be challenging for some leaders as they are used to being in complete control. It is true that the danger of completely stepping back without checking in on your team is that you risk having your workers going off track and failing to meet set goals or deadlines. However, when you do this strategically, you foster a sense of trust and independence. In time, you will find that you are able to do this more without it negatively impacting productivity and results.
3. Remain open to new ideas and new ways of approaching work.
Being open to new ideas, considering new ways of approaching work, and getting work done tops the list when it comes to maximizing teamwork. So, the next time a big project comes up, as a leader, do not forget to say: “How do you think we can best achieve this?” You will be surprised by the responses you will get and the ingenuity in your team.
4. Create processes that will make everyone’s job easier.
Most of the time, the main reason that collaboration doesn’t seem to work as effectively as leaders want it to is because of the processes, or lack of them, they have in place. You have to begin thinking of smart and easier ways of doing work or carrying out tasks. That way, instead of working too hard your team will begin working smarter, finish work on time, and begin more fulfilled in their roles.
5. Communicate more clearly and effectively.
Giving out clear instructions, communicating clearly what needs to be achieved, and answering all questions concerning the task in hand is a big step toward cultivating greatness in your staff and accomplishing what you desire. However, for some leaders that is easier said than done. Effective communication skills do not come naturally to all. In most cases, it is a skill set that needs to be learned and cultivated. This is especially true for those who used to be solo practitioners but have now grown into the leader of a team.
6. Encourage continuous growth and improvement.
Great leaders know the importance of encouraging growth and improvement in the people they lead. So, as a great leader, you need to begin looking for ways of helping your people improve their skills, gifts, and talents. Talent development initiatives are often the category that is overlooked, yet is most important investment in your #1 asset, your human resources. If it means purchasing training programs or incorporating professional skill development programs into your calendar, go ahead and do so. It will benefit your team members as well as your business overall. It is one of the best-proven ways of ensuring development and progress where work is concerned.
7. Reward and recognize outstanding work.
Finally, the best way of bringing out the best in your team is by rewarding and recognizing brilliant work. Show your team how much their work is appreciated by giving out small rewards or by having things like an employee of the month program. Involve the entire team in selecting the best employee monthly to keep everyone motivated. When you commit yourself to recognizing and rewarding those that contribute to outstanding outcomes, you cultivate an environment that encourages cream of the crop performance. Not only will this contribute to increase in financial performance, it will weed out those on your team that not longer align with your vision and make room for those that do.