Want Performers? You Control Much Of That!

I have added a more diverse background to my work experiences.  I have spent time in the military, large enterprise company, mid-size company, non-profit (small and large), start-ups and just recently retail. I can say without a doubt that many of the leadership skills and practices that I use and write about work pretty much everywhere. If you are looking to build a strong team of performers… This post is for you!

One of the areas, that I find that is lacking pretty much everywhere is simple appreciation. I have had the pleasure of working for both ends of the spectrum when it comes to leaders. What I need you to do know is close your eyes and think of the “best boss” you have ever had. Got him or her? What did they do better than any other one?

For me, it is the one’s that took the time to make me feel appreciated for the job I did. Teams are made up of human beings. We all want to feel like what we do matters.

Here are some very simple and easy ways to make sure you are doing your part to insure your team is performing…

• Say – “Thank-you!” It gets no easy than that. Saying thank-you or I appreciate what you did – makes each person feel like they matter. Build that into your daily routine… What really works is taking a moment to pull aside that person and spend 20-30 seconds showing your appreciate. It may feel awkward at first, but your team member really gets more from that.
• Tie their work to the teams goals. I said it a thousands times – make sure that each team member understands how their work ties to the goals. I have used my team to help develop strategies to accomplish our goals. Then you can show them how that work ties to the larger organizations goals. When it all ties together the team members really feel like they are a part of the greater company goals.
• Successes are a shared item. All to often the shared items are about the mistakes that are made or failures… How about flipping that and really sharing the successes. As a team success usually breeds more success. Just look at the most successful sports teams – it becomes a habit! Keep harping on the failures or mistakes and that becomes second nature.

Make sure that if you are not doing enough appreciation for your team and its members… It is time to make that change. As a member of teams, I know it goes a long way for me. As a leader of teams, I have seen how it works.

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