You're leading a team in computer networking. How do you know they're really successful?

1 Skills and Knowledge

One of the first things you need to evaluate is whether your team members have the necessary skills and knowledge to perform their tasks and solve problems. You can use various methods to assess their competencies, such as quizzes, certifications, peer reviews, or self-assessments. You can also observe how they apply their skills and knowledge in practice, such as how they design, implement, troubleshoot, or optimize network systems. You should also encourage your team to update and expand their skills and knowledge regularly, by providing them with learning opportunities, resources, and feedback.

2 Communication and Collaboration

Another important aspect of your team's success is how they communicate and collaborate with each other and with other stakeholders. You can monitor how they use different communication tools and channels, such as emails, chats, calls, or meetings, to share information, ideas, feedback, or concerns. You can also check how they document their work and processes, such as using diagrams, reports, or wikis, to ensure clarity, consistency, and transparency. You should also foster a culture of collaboration, by promoting teamwork, trust, respect, and diversity among your team members and with other teams.

3 Efficiency and Quality

A third indicator of your team's success is how they manage their time, resources, and quality standards. You can measure how they plan, prioritize, execute, and deliver their projects and tasks, using metrics such as deadlines, budgets, scope, or customer satisfaction. You can also evaluate how they ensure the quality and reliability of their network systems and services, using tools such as testing, monitoring, auditing, or reporting. You should also support your team to optimize their efficiency and quality, by providing them with clear goals, expectations, guidelines, and feedback.

4 Innovation and Creativity

A fourth factor that can influence your team's success is how they demonstrate innovation and creativity in their work. You can observe how they explore new technologies, methods, or solutions to improve or expand their network systems and services. You can also see how they experiment with different approaches, test their assumptions, learn from their failures, or adapt to changing needs and challenges. You should also inspire your team to foster innovation and creativity, by providing them with a safe and supportive environment, encouraging them to take risks, and rewarding them for their achievements.

5 Motivation and Engagement

A fifth and final element that can affect your team's success is how they show motivation and engagement in their work. You can assess how they express their interest, enthusiasm, or passion for their work and for computer networking in general. You can also gauge how they align their personal and professional goals with the team's and the organization's vision and mission. You should also motivate and engage your team, by providing them with recognition, appreciation, autonomy, and opportunities for growth and development.

6 Here’s what else to consider

This is a space to share examples, stories, or insights that don’t fit into any of the previous sections. What else would you like to add?