6 things teams should know & focus on:
1 Ignore your weakness
We always hear that we need to improve our weaknesses. I am giving you the opposite advice. Work on your strengths to become an expert at what you are good at and usually enjoy. With one exception – if your weakness is a “fatal flaw” then you should work on it. Fatal flaw means that it would hurt your team if you didn’t fix it.
2. Surveys are a waste of time if done anonymously
I was actually a big pusher of surveys until I started getting some “crappy” turnout or unhelpful responses. Surveys are good if the person puts their name down on it. When it is anonymous, people usually just complain and you don’t know where the problem is.
Weigh the opinions of who gave the feedback. Look more at who said what to address the right problem
3. We don’t need buy in
I love this one especially since I am continuously implementing new processes or changes. We don’t need their buy in, but we do need permission. This is a huge difference with those “late adopters.” If you give them the full game plan then they can figure out how to sabotage it.
4. Let the squeaky wheel squeak
We all have that one person who is constantly complaining about or finding something wrong. This person will always have something to complain about so don’t put as much stock into their complaints. Put stock in the people that hardly ever complain. Then you know you have a problem.
5. Let dying things die
Sometimes we get invested in something and don’t want to let it go. We think if we throw more resources or money at it, that it will get better. Keep in mind the big picture as a leader. If it is sinking, don’t let it sink the entire ship. It’s okay to let go. Learn something from what happened & pivot to something that is thriving. It’s never a failure if you learn and use those learnings for the future.
6. Plan in Pencil
Planning is IMPORTANT. Planning in pencil is even more important. You want to plan out what needs to happen, but also be flexible enough to pivot when needed. Avoid getting stuck and spinning your wheels if you are stuck.
Following these 4 principles will help you become the leader you were meant to be:
- Give your time to those you lead. Be available to them and have an open door policy where they can come to you.
- Make sure they have the training they need to do the job. Have the experience & knowledge to help them along the way. Don’t hoard the knowledge. Share the knowledge. Empowering them means you are leading and not managing.
- Be present with them. Actually see what is going on than just hearing about it. There are always more than one side to the story.
- Show passion for your work and genuinely care about them. Don’t make it all about work. Know what they like to do & what’s going on in their life.
