The document provides tips for managers to get the best performance from their team members. It discusses the importance of:
- Treating team members as individuals and understanding their differences
- Setting a good example for the team through your own work ethic and commitment
- Investing in personal relationships with team members to create a positive work environment
- Providing constructive feedback and support to help team members improve
- Regular communication to discuss goals, projects, challenges and successes
- Encouraging team participation and input to gain commitment and buy-in
The document provides tips for managers to get the best performance from their team members. It discusses the importance of:
- Treating team members as individuals and understanding their differences
- Setting a good example for the team through your own work ethic and commitment
- Investing in personal relationships with team members to create a positive work environment
- Providing constructive feedback and support to help team members improve
- Regular communication to discuss goals, projects, challenges and successes
- Encouraging team participation and input to gain commitment and buy-in
The document provides tips for managers to get the best performance from their team members. It discusses the importance of:
- Treating team members as individuals and understanding their differences
- Setting a good example for the team through your own work ethic and commitment
- Investing in personal relationships with team members to create a positive work environment
- Providing constructive feedback and support to help team members improve
- Regular communication to discuss goals, projects, challenges and successes
- Encouraging team participation and input to gain commitment and buy-in
The document provides tips for managers to get the best performance from their team members. It discusses the importance of:
- Treating team members as individuals and understanding their differences
- Setting a good example for the team through your own work ethic and commitment
- Investing in personal relationships with team members to create a positive work environment
- Providing constructive feedback and support to help team members improve
- Regular communication to discuss goals, projects, challenges and successes
- Encouraging team participation and input to gain commitment and buy-in
The key takeaways are to treat people as individuals, set a good example, invest in relationships, provide feedback carefully, offer help and support, communicate regularly, and encourage team involvement and risk-taking.
Some important steps for successful people management are to realize that people are different, get to know your team well, set a good standard, demonstrate commitment, and lead by example.
It is important for managers to invest in personal relationships with their team because it encourages loyalty, performance, respect, and allows the manager to offer help and support. People will respond better when they feel the manager has their interests in mind.
Managing People – How To Get The
Best From Your Team
Everybody’s different Possibly the most important initial step in successful people management is to realise that people are, indeed, different. Whilst all professionals generally share some common motivations, desires and attributes, you will get the best out of people if you treat them as individuals. Management techniques that work with one professional may not work with another, so take time to get to know your team well, and you’ll soon pick up on individual characteristics that can help you manage them better. Set the standard Good management techniques are borne out of mutual respect and appreciation between all parties, so all management should begin by the manager setting a standard that he or she would expect from others. Employees can quickly lose respect for a manager who doesn’t display the abilities or commitment to undertake tasks that they themselves are required to do. If you want people to work long, focused hours and take pride in their work, then ideally you should demonstrate that you have these capabilities too, and are leading from the front. Invest in good relations It sounds obvious, but being a good manager of people is not merely about making successful demands of them. There are a few tried and tested ways of ensuring that your team performs well, but arguably the best way of achieving this is to invest in each personal relationship, going out of your way to do things purely for the benefit of the team and its individuals. If you don’t manage to do this, there is a danger that your team will solely associate you with requests for work, and this may create a negative psychology in the very people that you are trying to manage. Careful critiques Your evaluation and feedback of the work produced by your colleagues is one of the key areas by which you can either greatly increase loyalty, performance and respect, or greatly diminish it. Human beings hate to be criticised, and will generally go on the defensive when placed in this position, so choose your words carefully if you want to enthuse rather than deflate. A helping hand Successful managers have a tendency to be able to display empathy for a colleague’s challenges, and in many cases are in a position to offer proactive help and support. This is an essential part of management, as people generally respond well to professional relationships where the other party seems to be doing things for them. Most employees will gladly undertake tasks if they feel that management is looking out for their own personal interests. Communication is king Good communication is vital to good management techniques, and it is therefore essential that you establish a line of regular communication that suits both you and your team. Generally speaking, you should aim to set aside some dedicated time to communicating management news to the team, and allowing them to update you on their projects at least once a week. Sessions like this encourage team spirit, a feeling of togetherness and can be a highly effective way of identifying challenges and celebrating successes in a timely manner. Get people to arrive at your conclusions Instead of being a domineering manager who insists that things are done exclusively your way, it can often be helpful to use a little reverse psychology when managing people. If your approach is strictly to dictate, you may well encounter resistance, although if you set out your reasons for wanting something done a particular way, and encourage the buy in of your team, they will be much more willing to engage. Better still, create an open discussion where your team proactively suggest the route that you had initially intended. In this way, you can praise staff for their initiative whilst also getting things done the way you want them. Create your own rules Managing people successfully is a dynamic, evolving and highly personal process, with a wide variety of methods and styles that you could employ. A good manager, who gets the best results, will often be learning about their own skills in tandem with their team, creating a healthy and productive relationship all round.
How to Get the Best Performance
From Team Members by Carol Deeb, Demand Media Placing a group of experienced employees together does not guarantee the success of a team. Each member must perform at a high-enough level to ensure that his contribution is an integral part of completing the project. Team leaders or supervisors have the task of motivating members to work toward a common goal and maintain positive outlooks about the project and the company. If deadlines are usually short, requiring high energy levels from the team, your staff risks burning out. To get the best performance from team members, work to help maintain momentum until all required tasks are completed. Step 1 Conduct a meeting with your team as soon as it forms and explain the mission of the company and why your department or team is important to realizing the goals. Tell the members why they were chosen to fulfill the duties of the project. Step 2 Include your team in planning the activities to meet deadlines. Allow each member to determine their duties that lead to the end result. Write down performance plans and reassess regularly to ensure compliance. Related Reading: How to Build Team Members Around You Step 3 Encourage employees who do not perform at a high level to take responsibility for their work and help keep the team moving forward. Let the laggard members know that their tasks are important and that other workers rely on them. Remind them about the characteristics they possess that led you to choose them for the team. Step 4 Organize brainstorming sessions with your team to discover more efficient avenues for task completion. This exercise also shows that you respect your team members' ideas and will listen when approached about new solutions to output delays. Step 5 Allow team members to resolve conflict among themselves, with you as a guide. Ensure that each one respects the other person's idea and position, but make it clear that they must do what's best for the group and the company. Teaching your staff how to place their personal conflicts aside to advance the goals of the team helps them learn how to avoid behavior that slows down progress so they can perform at their best together. Step 6 Reward employees for meeting interim deadlines and completing portions of the larger project. A pizza lunch in the workplace or a half-day off with pay serves to refresh and motivate the team. If your budget allows, organize a morale booster that includes a day of activities and bonding away from the office to encourage your team members to perform efficiently as a team. 6 Ways to Get the Best Out of Your Team by Toni Ridgaway Draw the best work out of your people by leading yourself and building relationships. Steven Liparoto, in his leadership guide, “How to Draw the Best Out of Your People” offers the six leadership practices that make the most of your team members. 1. Lead Yourself. Self-discipline must be “job one” if you are to draw out the best in others. Know your natural talents, your limits, your goals and values. 2. Know Your People. Discover what each person is best at and capitalize on those gifts, talents and abilities. Do not attempt to “fix” their weaknesses but find ways to manage around them. 3. Build Trust With Them. Building trusting relationships with your team members will encourage full commitment from them. An absence of trust leads to a fear of conflict, avoidance of accountability and eventual inattention to results. 4. Coach Them. Provide the resources, encouragement, guidance and correction needed so your people can excel and achieve winning results. Address the needs of the whole person: heart, body, mind and spirit. 5. Release Them. Continual checking up on your team members warns of a lack of trust and damages your credibility. When you permit your team members to function autonomously with less over- the-shoulder monitoring, they are “released” to exercise their own judgment about achieving results. This freedom creates a sense of ownership, accomplishment and responsibility. Define your goals and results clearly, then be approachable and recognize positive contributions. 6. Have Fun With Them. Intentionally create a satisfying, joy-filled workplace by playing fair, encouraging friendships, offering challenging work, and reminding the team that the work is worthwhile. When you give people the opportunity to get together and laugh, it creates a strong sense of camaraderie, solidarity and team orientation
12 Simple Things A Leader Can Do
To Build A Phenomenal Team 1. Don’t Settle for Mediocre: It’s not fun to fire people, so employers often settle for the first so-so person they hire. However, this practice can lead to weaknesses within a team. Once you realize a member of the team is performing at a mediocre level, call him out, but more importantly, support him to do better. If there’s no improvement, it’s time to find a new rock star for your team. 2. Be a Thought Leader: Top talent is too good to work for middling companies with weak brands. The more you can position yourself as an authority in your industry, the more talent will naturally be attracted to your business. I try to contribute to at least two publications each month to share my expertise with others, and those articles show up when potential hires research my company. 3. Trust is Crucial: A team member can be highly intelligent and a hard worker, but if you can’t trust that person, it’s time to let him go. If you keep that person on, you’ll have a bigger problem to deal with when disaster strikes. Your daily operations could take a big hit if you retain employees you can’t trust. 4. Forget the Money… at First: Hire a person whose main motivation is to build a team, or someone who has a passion for your business in general. Money is extremely important, but when it’s the main thing on someone’s mind, it can be a distraction. It’s important for your employees to care about the success of your business, and if all they see are dollar signs, their hearts may not be in it. 5. Personal Lives are Important: Recognize that your team members have personal lives. It’s easy to take small steps to celebrate birthdays, weddings, or other significant moments in their lives. If you see an opportunity to help a team member outside of work, it pays to take it. It helps build loyalty with your employees, and they tend to pay it forward with other team members. 6. Maintain Systematic Processes: Once you’ve achieved success in a certain area, create a process that mimics that success over and over. A great read on this topic is “The Checklist Manifesto.” In it, a hospital created checklists to create a systematic process for maintaining good health in the building, and they decreased infections by 66%. Checklists increase the effectiveness – and success – of a team. 7. Diversity Brings Innovation: There’s a reason diversity is a common topic among employers. To build a great team, you need diverse thinkers. A variety of races, ages, and sexes can help a team think outside the box and hit problems from many different angles. Plus, it makes your office a more interesting place to work. 8. It’s Okay to Be Friends: In most offices, you’ll spend more time with your coworkers than you do with your family. Being friends and getting along not only increases performance, it also leads to a great work environment. As long as you keep a goal-oriented focus and hold people accountable, you shouldn’t be scared of a team that’s made up of your friends. 9. Play to People’s Strengths: Find out what your employees are great at, but don’t forget about their weaknesses. Each team member should be spending time doing what he or she does best, but you should recognize weaknesses and help your employees improve. Don’t miss out on creating an all-around rock star employee just because he really “kills it” at one thing. 10. Great Teams Read Together: Leaders are readers, so if you’re going to create leaders within the team, they should consistently read. We’re always sharing articles and books among our team. It keeps us on top of recent trends and helps stimulate strategic thoughts. 11. Invest in Your First Five Hires: The more time you invest in training your first five hires, the less time you have to spend training the ones who join the company later. Make it a point to set aside time with each member to support him or her so everyone is prepared to show that same support to new employees as your company grows. 12. Give Recognition: Recognize people when they do something extraordinary. It not only gives people a sense of accomplishment, it inspires others to make efforts to go above and beyond their normal duties as well. We give a Championship Belt to a team member each week to recognize that person for doing something incredible. Even small efforts can make your employees feel appreciated and inspire them to do even more. It takes time and effort to put together a dream team, but using the above strategies, I’ve managed to build an amazing group of employees I wouldn’t trade for anybody out there. 5 Unexpected Ideas to Get the Best Out of Your Team Go beyond the management basics and implement these ideas to become a truly great leader. 1. Take a leap of faith The surest way to bring out the best in your team is to believe the best of them. That means starting with the assumption that they're going to rock every assignment, even if there's no evidence yet to support that optimism. It might be scary, but “giving teammates license they haven't previously had or giving them a task they haven't proven they can do yet,” is essential according to Ravilochan. “You want people who punch above their weight class on your team anyway. That means trusting them with things you don't know they can do yet, reserving judgment, and then giving them honest feedback,” he explains. 2. Tap into everyone's knowledge In a fair world, who we listen to would be based on who had the most relevant information. In the real world, it's often the loudest person who dominates a discussion, not the most knowledgable. Needless to say this stifling of quieter (but more expert) contributors can be pretty discouraging for a team. Recent research offers a suggestion to help avoid this problem, bringing out the best in your team no matter their comfort level with shouting over loudmouths. “Early in a task, team members should be encouraged to discuss the relevant knowledge each brings to the table. In a series of lab experiments, groups that underwent this intervention outperformed other groups,” the study authors wrote on the HBR blogs. More details on exactly how to accomplish this in the post. 3. Separate idea generation and idea evaluation From the perspective of an individual contributor, among the most deflating experiences in the world is getting yourself excited about a new idea only to have it inexplicable ignored. Management's perspective is more complicated, however. You want to empower your team to innovate, but on the other hand, you also need to rigorously evaluate new ideas. How do you balance the need to encourage creativity with the need to be picky about which ideas you implement? Writing on Lifehack, executive coach Ricky Nowak offers some advice. “Don't make the common mistake of mixing idea generation and idea evaluation,” she says. At the idea generation stage, there are no bad ideas and quantity is more important than quantity. Idea evaluation “focuses on working with the pool of generated ideas and evaluating their positives and negatives, trying to figure out if an idea is feasible.” Keep these stages apart or risk sinking your team's enthusiasm for innovation. Another idea to accomplish the same goal? Stanford GSB professor Jonathan Bender suggests “a formal rubric, or scoring system, where their ideas are graded on various dimensions, such as technical merit and market potential.” This keeps things objective and impersonal while offering actionable feedback. 4. Work yourself out of a job Nearly every expert agrees that to bring out the best in your people, you need to help them grow in their jobs and develop new skills. Sometimes that's scary as it means, essentially, training your team to do parts of your own job, or alternately, letting them learn to do things way beyond your own abilities. Embrace this reality even if it makes you nervous, argues one article on the subject from London Business School. “One useful way of approaching a management job is to imagine that the role won't exist in, say, two years' time and that your job is to train everyone so that they can do your job as well as their own. Doing that encourages you to hire and promote the best people. It forces you to question why you do certain things at all, and it inspires you to delegate many of your tasks to the people working for you,” it explains.
5. Banish your biases
Think you're free of unconscious preferences and irrational pet peeves? Think again. Everyone has them and left unexamined they can be highly de- motivating for your team. The trick according to Forbes contributor Bruce Kasanoff is to take the time to understand (and correct for) your own biases. “Each of us has certain attitudes and biases that prevent us from seeing the truth. The better we understand them, the better we can make adjustments. For example, if you tend to be a planner, you might think that an employee behaves rashly because she invests little time in planning; but the reality may be that she is better than you at thinking or her feet,” he writes.
How to Build a Winning Team
By Jack And Suzy Welch FIRST, the leaders of winning teams always—always—let their people know where they stand. We’re not talking about “Good job, Sally,” or “Thanks for your hard work, Tom.” Effective leaders let their people know whether they are star performers without whom the organization would writhe in agony or whether they should be thinking seriously about finding another job. Amazingly—to us, at least—the habit of continuously evaluating each team member is a rare and wondrous thing. Sure, leaders evaluate their people all the time—but they too seldom share those observations with the team members themselves. In the silence, stars become disaffected and leave seeking more appreciation, either in the soul or the wallet, or both. Meanwhile, the solid center wanders around in undirected ignorance, and the real underperformers drive their teammates crazy because others must carry their load (and no one upstairs ever seems to do anything about it). By contrast, on winning teams, leaders spend the vast majority of their time lavishing love on top performers. Yes, love: rewarding them for every contribution, building their self- confidence so they have the guts to take on even greater challenges, and holding them up as a role model for others on the team. Similarly, on winning teams, leaders devote a lot of energy to middling performers, relentlessly coaching. And as for the do-nothings: leaders face into these individuals with a sense of reality, spending only the time to help them put together a résumé and find a job where they will be more successful. Unfortunately, in most organizations, managers spend an inordinate amount of time working around their worst people, counseling their aggrieved co-workers and rearranging work to accommodate their incompetence. They also spend a lot of hours fretting over how they can possibly break it to their underperformers that they’re terrible at their jobs without hurting their feelings. It’s all backward. Rather than hurting their feelings, you’re doing your underperformers a favor if you let them know they need to go, and the sooner the better, before they have to look for work in a recession. After all, who were the first employees to be cut in 2008 or 2009? You guessed it: mainly those who should have been set out on new paths years earlier. SECOND, winning teams know the game plan. There’s never been a Super Bowl team that charged the field thinking, We’ll figure this out as it goes along and see what happens. And there will never be a winning business team that lacks a clear sense of how the competition thinks and fights—and how it’s going to think and fight better. Nor has there ever been a winning team that didn’t believe that winning would make life much, much better in very real ways. Don’t get us wrong. We’re not huge fans of strategic planning as it is commonly taught in business school, nor as it is practiced in too many companies. Lengthy reports about strategy from headquarters or consultants—in particular, those that involve PowerPoint slides—frankly scare us. They usually claim to predict the future in a way that no one can anymore, and they’re ridiculously expensive to boot. No, in today’s global market, strategy means picking a general direction and executing like hell. And that’s what winning teams do. Here’s the catch. Most leaders explain the game plan in mushy, vague terms. “We need to gain market share. That’s going to mean beating Acme Widgets,” they might say. “Everybody’s quota is going to be doubled, and we’re reorganizing so that everyone is reporting to someone new. Change is hard, but it’s necessary. Go get ’em.” Ready, forward—what? On winning teams, leaders infuse their people with crazy-positive enthusiasm about what winning will look like for the company and, more important (as it’s often forgotten), for them as individuals. “Look, Acme’s killing us,” they might say. “Their on-time delivering makes us look like we’re driving horses and buggies around here. But we can beat them by coming up with a better idea for efficiency every single day. And when that happens, your life is going to change and everything is going to get better. Our company will start to grow again; you’ll have more job security and a chance for advancement. Even though we’re going to enter into a long, hard slog of change ahead, at the other end of it you’ll be smarter, richer, and your life will be more exciting.” Clarity. Direction. Outcome. Ready, forward, charge. THIRD, winning teams are honest. Or let us be more precise. On every single winning team, you will discover that the leader is candid; he rewards everyone else who is candid, and outs the people who aren’t candid. Oh, sure, there are exceptions. But in time, they always backfire. Because when people don’t say what they mean, play politics, or withhold their ideas, everything gets screwed up. Resentments accumulate. Cliques form. Good people leave. Work slows down. By contrast, the simple truth is that candor breeds trust. And when a team is infused with trust, people play to their better angels. They share ideas freely. They help their colleagues when they’re stuck and need an insight. What they do every day then becomes about the group’s success, not their own. They’re not worried about not getting the credit for some big win; they know a teammate will say something like, “Hey, don’t thank me. Cary was the one with the eureka moment that set the whole thing in motion.” And Cary will say, “Thanks. I may have had the idea, but you executed.” The candor-trust connection has another benefit: it promotes an environment of risk-taking. Who wants to try something new if they sense they’ll get a stick in the eye (or worse) should they fail? Leaders of winning teams encourage their people to take on huge challenges and let them know that they’re safe no matter what happens. And then they make good on their word. Only in such environments will people be bold. And only bold teams win. FOURTH, and finally, winning teams celebrate. No idea we talk about gives people hives more than this one. Maybe it has something to do with the recession— “How can you party in times of austerity?”—but people balked even before the economy went south. Most leaders don’t understand the tight link between celebrating small successes along the way and achieving the big one at the end. But it’s irrefutable. Teams that get pizza when they land a new client, or go on trips when they hit a sales milestone, or otherwise whoop it up every time something good happens create a delicious dynamic. They teach people what it feels like to win, which is, well, a very good feeling. It makes people want to win more. In fact, they never want the feeling to go away. So they do everything to keep winning. We would call it magic, except there’s nothing mysterious about it. Like all four of our maxims here, the only mystery about winning teams, really, is why there aren’t more of them.