As a people manager, you want your team to be productive, motivated, and aligned with your goals. But sometimes, you may face a situation where your team is not responding to your feedback, requests, or expectations. How can you get them to engage and improve their performance? Here are some tips to help you.
The first step is to understand why your team is not responding. There could be many reasons, such as lack of clarity, trust, communication, recognition, autonomy, or skills. You need to ask yourself and your team members some questions to diagnose the problem. For example, are you giving clear and specific instructions and feedback? Are you listening to their concerns and opinions? Are you acknowledging their achievements and efforts? Are you empowering them to make decisions and solve problems? Are you providing them with the resources and support they need to grow and learn?
A very logical first question to ask yourself: What's the root cause? Reflect on your actions, it is a case by case situation, but generally speaking when a team is not responding it means their opinions are not being valued. Why would anyone speak if you aren't listening? Get feedback, and listen to it even when it is hard.
Here is what I would do as a people manager, connect with each team members and understand their concern. Speak to the team by giving certain solutions/options and then would ask them for their opinions. Give them the decision making on how to arrive at a solution and only guiding and helping if they are stuck at a certain stage.
Communication is the key. Talk to the team & understand the root cause and fix the issues. Have an individual one on one with team members & make them comfortable that they can share their concerns & ideas. This will provide them confidence and better platform to share their understanding & concerns.
Knowing the 'root cause' is a first thing to do, and then make them feel heard. Give them ground to speak and put forward their suggestions/opinions/point of views. - You can schedule individual meetings, encourage open team discussions, and distribute anonymous surveys to gather feedback. Here the focal point is, feedback given and taken must be constructive. - Consider the external factors too. - Evaluate clarity in instructions, communication effectiveness, recognition of achievements, empowerment levels, and availability of support and resources. By addressing these questions and engaging in open dialogue, you'll gain insights to implement targeted strategies and re-engage your team effectively.
First of all would like to know root cause of problem and identify how and when it happen then discuss everyone individually each member of team and knew all the views of team towards problem. Then I'll guide my expectations including company view with all and know what do you want from us. Then discuss everything and sort it out as a win win situations.
The second step is to communicate effectively with your team. You need to be open, honest, and respectful. You need to share your vision, goals, and expectations with them, and explain how their work contributes to the bigger picture. You also need to solicit their feedback, ideas, and suggestions, and show that you value their input. You need to communicate frequently and consistently, using different channels and methods, such as meetings, emails, chats, or calls. You need to avoid jargon, ambiguity, and assumptions, and use simple and clear language.
Communication is one of the most critical aspects that the companies especially align with all people and synchronise their communications. Ensure the team is working together on the same goal and believing the same value. Every team member is unique with an independent thinking process. This only can through an effective communication to get everyone walks along with you. Coaching and mentoring can be parts of communication to build the relationship. Effective communication also involves the feedback from the team to you or your feedback to the team.
Communication is something that every organization, leader and team member can always work to improve. Even the best communicators can always improve. Effective communication is deliberate (engaged and attentive), purposeful (has a specific reason), thoughtful (saying what you mean to say and how want to say it) and timely. This requires constant commitment and vigilance.
A comunica??o e uma ferramenta muito importante, n?o nos aproxima das equipas como também gera confian?a e fortalece a equipa. Dar feedback dos trabalhos, valorizar as contribui??es. Criar temas fora do contexto do trabalho fazendo que isso tira a equipa da zona do conforto e vai se abrindo mais
Well ... I'm not a great proponent of "explaining", it seldom changes anything. To communicate effectively you need first to listen, ask questions, become curious! #ObservationalListening is the ideal method for that!
In my experience, Clarity fulled communication helps. Door to building trust starts. Once trust is established responses and honest discussions will follow.
The third step is to build trust and rapport with your team. You need to show that you care about them as individuals, not just as employees. You need to get to know them personally, and learn about their strengths, weaknesses, interests, and aspirations. You need to respect their diversity and uniqueness, and appreciate their contributions and perspectives. You need to be supportive, empathetic, and flexible, and help them overcome their challenges and difficulties. You need to be consistent, reliable, and accountable, and follow through on your promises and commitments.
Hold team meetings, one-on-one sessions, or use collaboration tools for regular check-ins. Provide constructive feedback to individuals and the team as a whole. Acknowledge their efforts and address concerns or challenges they may be facing. Ensure clarity regarding goals, expectations, and roles within the team. Uncertainty can lead to disengagement. Encourage autonomy and ownership by involving team members in decision-making processes and allowing them to take initiative. Recognize and celebrate achievements, both big and small. This fosters a positive work environment and motivates team members.
Building a culture of Psychological Safety makes a massive difference. People need to feel safe coming to you and each other with ideas and concerns without fear of bullying, rejection or punishment. Keep any feedback constructive and actionable. Give positive feedback and highlight successes. Ask team members for their thoughts and ideas and action them or give good feedback as to why not. Give them credit for their work and ideas, all the way up the line. If you create a culture of trust and collaboration and genuinely being interested in them and their ideas,whatever level they are, then people will want to respond as being engaged boosts morale and retention. People want to feel listened to.
It is only once you communicate effectively (starting with: learning how to listen empathically, actively and preferably using #ObservationalListening) that you can create an environment in which #PsychologicalSafety allows trust to grow. It is only once everyone in the team feels psychologically safe that a meaningful rapport can develop.
Building trust isn't always a quick process in some teams. It's another thing that requires focus, dedication and vigilance. One of my favorite sayings about trust is that it is "gained in drops and lost in buckets." You have to consistently show you care because one misstep or bad moment and you can undo all the progress you made building trust. The good news is if you are authentic and genuinely care about people this should be fairly second nature.
Für mich ist mein Team eine Art von Familie in der man sich um die einzelnen Teammitglieder kümmert. Dabei geht es nicht nur um die Arbeit sondern auch um privates, ein offenes Ohr für die Belange /Probleme zu haben. So bildet man eine Vertrauensbasis, die Teammitglieder fühlen sich verstanden und wertgesch?tzt. Dadurch sind sie auch bereit Leistung über das normale Ma? hinaus zu bringen, was letztlich dem gesamten Team zu Gute kommt.
The fourth step is to recognize and reward your team. You need to celebrate their successes and achievements, and praise them for their efforts and improvements. You need to give them positive and constructive feedback, and help them learn from their mistakes and failures. You need to provide them with opportunities and incentives to grow and advance in their careers, such as training, mentoring, coaching, or promotion. You need to tailor your recognition and reward to their preferences and needs, and use different forms and formats, such as verbal, written, public, or private.
Appreciation can make a day, even change a life. Your willingness to put it into words is all that is necessary. Recognizing and rewarding your team is essential. Celebrate their successes and achievements by acknowledging milestones and completed projects, while providing positive and constructive feedback to encourage growth. Offer opportunities for advancement through training, mentorship, and promotion, tailored to individual preferences. Be consistent and genuine in your recognition efforts, ensuring that they resonate with each team member. Encourage peer-to-peer recognition to cultivate a culture of appreciation and collaboration.
At my experience as a facilities manager, is so important to give feedback to our team. Exalt their qualities and progress. Acept and sometimes praise their out of box ideias. Showing them that their are a part of a bigger project and each action affects all the group.
Two way communication is key for effective team performance. If a team is not responding, as a manager you have to find out the reason behind the non-response. This will be important in solving the issue. In my experience, conflicts within the team or a lack of motivation are the main drivers of a non responsive team.Setting clear expectations and resolving conflicts will assist in addressing this.
The fifth step is to empower and delegate to your team. You need to give them autonomy and ownership over their work, and trust them to make decisions and solve problems. You need to provide them with clear guidelines and boundaries, but avoid micromanaging and controlling them. You need to assign them tasks and projects that match their skills and interests, and challenge them to stretch their potential. You need to encourage them to take risks and experiment with new ideas and approaches, and support them when they face obstacles and setbacks.
Empowering and delegating is all about trust and autonomy. Provide clear guidelines and boundaries while avoiding micromanagement at any cost, allowing team members to take ownership of their work and make decisions independently. Assign tasks and projects that align with their skills and interests, encouraging them to stretch their potential and grow. Embrace a mindset that embraces risk-taking and experimentation, supporting team members when they encounter challenges or setbacks. By this, you cultivate a sense of ownership and accountability, leading to increased motivation and innovation.
Empowering your team means giving them autonomy while providing clear guidelines. It’s about trusting them to make decisions and solve problems, without micromanaging. Assign tasks that match their skills and interests, encouraging them to stretch their potential. Support them in taking risks and trying new ideas, and be there when they face setbacks. This approach not only boosts morale but also fosters a culture of trust, creativity, and resilience. Empowerment leads to a motivated team ready to tackle challenges with confidence.
Trust your team to make decisions and solve problems independently. If a team member encounters an issue while implementing a project, encourage them to brainstorm solutions and support them in taking appropriate actions. This not only builds their confidence but also demonstrates your trust in their abilities. Empowering and delegating to your team involves recognizing their potential, providing opportunities for growth, and trusting them to drive success through their skills and initiatives.
Steps 2, 3 and 4 give you the space in which you no longer delegate tasks, you delegate responsibilities. This is the best way to empower your team members: allow them to develop, allow them to take calculated risks and especially: allow them to get on with what they hired for and put their expertise to work in an authentic, autonomous way. At the same time let them know it's okay to ask for help when the going gets tough!
Use the situational leadership and understand whom to empower and whom to delegate. Choose the interns to empower them with small responsibilities and let them learn to take decisions. Choose the tenured employees to delegate critical tasks and let them feel that you are encouraging them to be your successor.
The sixth and final step is to lead by example. You need to model the behaviors and attitudes that you want your team to exhibit, and demonstrate your commitment and passion for your work. You need to be transparent, humble, and respectful, and admit your mistakes and weaknesses. You need to be proactive, creative, and collaborative, and seek feedback and learning opportunities. You need to be positive, optimistic, and resilient, and cope with stress and change. You need to be a role model and a mentor for your team, and inspire them to follow your lead.
Preach what you follow! Leading by example is the cornerstone of effective leadership. Embody the behaviors and attitudes you wish to see in your team, demonstrating dedication and passion for your work. Crate and promote a culture of transparency, humility, and respect by admitting mistakes and weaknesses openly. Proactively seek feedback and learning opportunities, encouraging a collaborative and creative environment. Stay positive, optimistic, and resilient in the face of challenges and change, inspiring your team to do the same. Remember the adage "preach what you follow," as your actions speak louder than words. Be a role model and mentor for your team, guiding them towards success through your own example.
Leading by example is crucial. Model the behaviors you expect from your team—show commitment, transparency, and humility. Admit mistakes and learn from them. Be proactive, creative, and collaborative, always open to feedback. Stay positive and resilient, showing how to handle stress and change effectively. Your actions inspire your team to mirror these qualities, fostering a culture of mutual respect and continuous improvement. Be more than a leader; be a mentor and a role model, guiding your team towards excellence.
Among the most valuable qualities of a manager, I would say show accountability. It is so important to demonstrate your strenghts but just as much, owning up to your mistakes. It shows that you are human - you are learning, and eventually you will fail, but you are not blaming anyone else for something that you have done. It is also an opportunity to make your team be accountable and it could create an environment based on mutual trust.
If you don't do what you preach as a leader- it's game over. Nobody is going to be listening to you. Without leading by example there simply is no leadership. People may do things for a while as they need to pay the bills- but ultimately they will take a first opportunity to run if opportunity presents itself. Especially the good ones. If you want openness- be open. If you want honesty- be honest. Transparency, respect, passion. Be the change you want to see. Otherwise it will not happen.
Als Teamleiter sollte man immer vorleben was man von den einzelnen erwartet. Nur wenn ich selbst in der Lage bin die geforderte Leistung zu erbringen kann ich es auch von meinem Team erwarten. Das Team muss spüren das ich die n?tige Kompetenz besitze , dann werden sie auch entsprechend agieren. L
Its important to open up and share your experiences & learning while seeking validation and advice. More often than not people become disengaged when they feel undervalued & not able to resonate with the org's goal. Communication is the key
Find trustworthy individual(s) who can be your spokesperson and/ or messenger in the team. They can be crucial in start to open the dialogue. Having one to one conversations with each individual helps to naturalize the conversations. Personal connects through hobbies, sports, food are best ways to break the ice. You iterating and re-iterating the message you want them to hear and act is best way to show consistency and commitment to the cause. As an analogy - point all your furniture to the TV! Any message/ discussion/ conversation/ emails - point it to the strategy - everyone will start to see pattern and align. Elaborate "whats in it for them" to ensure they feel invested and can get returns on success.
1. Set Clear Expectations: Ensure everyone understands their roles, responsibilities, and goals. Clear expectations help team members focus and feel motivated. 2. Provide Opportunities for Growth: Offer training, mentorship, and opportunities for skill development. Showing a commitment to their professional growth can increase engagement.
Personally, I found openness to be the best way. I never pretended, never lied, never hid anything from the people I was managing. No politics with my team, ever. I also never, ever made them feel inferior. It was never about me being the manager, it was about me being there for them, doing my thing and making sure they had everything they needed to do theirs. I was always on their side, I would never dismiss their concerns. Competency was another important thing- I worked in export most of my life, I think I know international trade quite well- and that also helped me when working with people coming to me with challenges. But I never pretended to know the answer if I didn't. We would usually find it together.
The utilization of situational leadership, if applied correctly, would assist in the reduction of non performing instances. Basically it boils down to skill and will when team members fall behind. Does one have the right skill set, if not training would eliminate that issue. Do they have the will to complete the task. To solve one must drill down. Is there a personal or even an emotional issue that needs attention that organizations can lend support programs or direct those team members to for assistance. In rare cases it may be necessary to substitute team members to jump start the completion of tasks. However, as mentioned earlier proper evaluation via situational leadership tactics would greatly assist leaders in assigning tasks.