You’re leading a team that’s been struggling. How can you get everyone back on track?

Schedule a team meeting (or one-on-ones if appropriate) to have an open conversation. Ask for honest feedback about what's hindering their performance. Is it a lack of clarity on goals? Are they burnt out? Are there internal conflicts? Listen actively and unearth the root causes. Hold a brainstorming session to revisit your team goals. Are they still relevant? Do they need adjusting? Clearly define SMART goals (Specific, Measurable, Achievable, Relevant, and Time-bound) to reignite focus. If the team lacks resources, training, or clear direction, provide the necessary support to empower them. Be realistic about timelines and adjust workloads if needed.

To reinvigorate a struggling team, start by fostering open communication to diagnose underlying issues such as unrealistic deadlines or unclear goals. Refocus the team by revisiting and refining its vision, setting SMART goals, and clarifying individual roles. Foster collaboration through improved communication channels, teamwork initiatives, and recognition of achievements. As a supportive leader, provide guidance, motivation, and receptiveness to new ideas, ultimately empowering the team to overcome challenges and move forward together effectively.

Assessing the situation is the first step. It could be hard or soft resource constraint, it could be teammates compatible issue or it could be personal challenges being faced by the team members, hence initial assessment goes a long way in assessing the root cause of the situation. As per Pareto principle 80 percent of the problems are caused by 20 percent of major issues..identify them and it will help address the situation.

Rally your team with an all-hands-on-deck meeting, inviting open dialogue to boost morale and ensuring everyone's voice is heard. Chart a new, clear course with manageable tasks, swab away doubts by tackling issues directly, and keep your eyes on the North Star by celebrating every achievement. Unleash a wind of change by fostering innovation through brainstorming, and once you've weathered the storm, celebrate your crew's hard work and resilience with a grand feast. With renewed spirits, confidence, and a solid plan, embark on your next adventure, ready to conquer any challenge with the strength of your united crew. Hoist the sails, for the golden shores of triumph, await your spirited team! ??????

After meeting with the team to pinpoint shared performance gaps, consider organizing a team-building outing. Bringing the team together in a relaxed environment can alleviate tension. Deliver an inspiring speech to motivate the team, and collaborate on a game plan to address performance issues, leveraging everyone's strengths for collective success.

Clear communication is at the heart of successfully leading any team - without it, the lack of clarity that is left behind derails any attempts to improve things!

In my opening is to Foster an environment where team members feel comfortable sharing their concerns and challenges. Encourage open dialogue during team meetings or one-on-one sessions.

In my experience it’s the leader who can inspire the team by being there for them. All SLT members are the administrators who can remain visible to support the teacher who is struggling for classroom management or discipline. They should draw the line for consequences. During observation participate in the lesson with the nervous teacher. Before the observation go through their lesson plans and proofread all the worksheets as per the ability in class. Keep smiling. Be approachable. Be kind. Never threat. Trust your team. Just be there.

If I am the team lead, I would ask team members first for their assessment of the situation. This approach (may) prevent my opinion from biasing the team’s opinions, and hopefully get to an honest analysis.

Assess the reasons behind the team's struggles. Are they due to unclear goals, a lack of resources, interpersonal conflicts, or external factors? Understanding the root causes is essential for developing targeted solutions. Foster an environment of open communication where team members feel comfortable expressing their concerns, sharing feedback, and discussing challenges. Encourage transparency and honesty to effectively address issues. Ensure that the team understands its objectives, priorities, and expectations clearly. Align individual goals with the team's objectives to create a sense of purpose and collective ownership.

Typically when organizations struggle, it's because teams don't have clearly defined goals. Set them, and make benchmarks. You will succeed.

Share your vision. Then work with your team to set clear goals to reach the larger picture. Share regular updates on the progress. Celebrate small victories. Ask for their ideas to gain buy-in.

In my experience, setting clear goals for a struggling team requires a comprehension of the root causes of the problem. Taking the late submissions as the cause. work with the team to trace the submissions over a specified period to establish patterns, hitches or challenges. A scatter plot may even be possible a way to achieve this. Then based on the findings of this tracing act, the team goals can be set in as clear terms as is possible. This might read like "Reduce late submissions of monthly Expense Reports to zero by end of June 2024." assuming it is the Accounting team is struggling. Because the goal-setting process involved them, team members usually make it as their responsibility to see to it that the goal is achieved.

Setting goals is essential for providing direction and focus in both personal and professional endeavors. Clear and specific goals establish a roadmap for success, outlining the steps needed to achieve desired outcomes. By setting measurable targets, individuals and teams can track progress, stay motivated, and celebrate milestones along the way. Moreover, goals serve as a source of accountability, encouraging commitment and dedication to the task at hand. Whether short-term or long-term, setting goals empowers individuals to take proactive steps towards realizing their aspirations and fulfilling their potential.

Goal setting is important but they need to be mutually agreed. There is a difference between step by step actions and having clear purpose with two people approaching it in different way. The best way to get your team to achieve anything is to let them set the goals they feel and know they can achieve. Be specific once you set the goals. Set timelines, the ‘how to’, potential barriers to achieving the goal as well as plan B and additional support they may need. The last three steps are often missed. You set goals and thin you’re done but understanding what can stop you from achieving it can help overcome those barriers. Be it work or even personal related.

Be sure the team knows each others strengths. I may be great at one thing, but really struggle with something else. Knowing another team member has the skill I am lacking can help me better collaborate for a better end product. So often leaders assume we know each others strengths (and challenges). Often we are so busy doing the work we do not think about who can provide us with support.

One of the most precious resources is always time. I’ve learnt a lot about different modes of communication from working in a number of different settings. In my current school, I love it that the main means of discussion is talking (rather than emailing). A quick face to face chat can often resolve an issue much more efficiently than an email. Also I really value the non-verbals which can help with a whole host of communication nuances: ensure misinterpretation is avoided and the message is clarified after questioning; help you better understand the response/current working context of the other person/people; smoother negotiation if the ask/task is tricky; and greater opportunity to offer encouragement or support.

I agree, a leader must Understand each team member’s strengths and weaknesses. Offer support, training, or mentorship where necessary. Show empathy and actively listen to their needs.

After setting clear goals, it's crucial to provide adequate resources and support to facilitate their achievement. This entails ensuring access to tools, materials, and training necessary for task completion. Additionally, offering guidance, mentorship, and encouragement fosters a supportive environment where individuals feel empowered to overcome challenges and excel. Effective resource allocation and responsive support systems enable teams to navigate obstacles with confidence and resilience. By investing in the development and well-being of individuals, organizations cultivate a culture of success and foster sustainable growth towards realizing shared objectives.

How are your team members getting on? Do they feel comfortable asking each other for help depending on their strengths? You don’t know? Best to find out because people who have positive relationships and trust each other are much more likely to work together, help each other and are not afraid to ask for help. If your team isn’t really a team, just a group of people meeting in one place for 8 hours a day to earn their living, you’re going to struggle to get them to collaborate and cooperate. Invest in team building and you’ll see the difference it will bring to overall productivity.

One thing I have noticed is that if team members are disconnected and unengaged, "assigning tasks" does not make them feel empowered, as the text suggests. In fact it can come under the banner of 'micromanaging' which the text (correctly) suggests avoiding. If you really want your team to take ownership, let them assign the tasks themselves. They can work out who is best positioned to carry out each activity. You can guide them and help them to identify the tasks but let them take on the responsibility of committing to the tasks.

Delegating to the wrong people just because you were told to delegate isn’t going to work. You need to understand what currently motivates your employees. Those who need safety and security may struggle with new tasks where those who are motivated by variety and growth will thrive. Not many managers know why their employees turn up every day. It’s not just money otherwise we wouldn’t need recruitment processes to hire the right for the job. Invest time in getting to know your team which, in return, will help you get the most out of each of them. Remember: The motivators may change depending on personal circumstances. Make sure you work on your relationship with your employees on regular basis.

From my experience and perspective, i think Delegation allows you to tap into individual strengths. Assign tasks based on expertise, ensuring that each team member contributes effectively. This targeted approach enhances overall productivity in addition to that you can use empowerment to help team members are entrusted with decision-making authority, they feel empowered. This autonomy boosts confidence and motivates them to take initiative. Empowered individuals are more likely to overcome challenges.

It is important to make people feel that they are being empowered. Assign each member of the team tasks which allows them to become rceative and a positive contributor to the team as a whole.

Agreeing with Fiona Spence, on disconnected and unengaged team members, some of them may be trying to communicate their need to exercise autonomy and decision-making regarding the execution of their tasks. So, I would grant them the satisfaction of their need and in the process, they may become connected and engaged. However, heed must be paid to their skills, interests, and development goals as deduced from their performance appraisals to date.

Also acknowledge failures and note how they will lead to success. Make it safe to make mistakes and correct work. Have your employee's back when they do make a mistake and help them figure out a path to recover.

Absolutely Rose Holland. I would say in many cases you can go one step further with failures and celebrate them. I teach sales people to celebrate every "no". Sales is a numbers game and the more "no's" you get the more work you are putting in. So "no's" are equally important as the yes's and should therefore be celebrated too.

?? Celebrating progress and achievements is vital in nurturing a thriving team culture. As a leader, I emphasize monitoring and acknowledging our journey towards success. Regular evaluation against set goals ensures alignment and direction. Providing constructive feedback empowers team members to grow and excel. Recognition and rewards for efforts and accomplishments foster a supportive environment where successes, big or small, are celebrated. Equally important is learning from failures, both individual and collective, to drive continuous improvement. Let's motivate, inspire, and retain our team by embracing a culture of celebration and growth. #Leadership #TeamDevelopment #Success ??

Absolutely agree on the learning from and marking the ‘failures’. They are often so much more emotionally rich a learning ground than the wins/successes so you need to engage with them to help you grow as a person and leader. It’s helpful to share some of your wins/failures with some of your team too (and admit / apologise when you’ve misinterpreted them or something they’ve done) in order to embrace the learning and tend failures in the soil for future flourishing.

Maintaining what we have achieved is more challenging than fixing, therefore, working as a team, walk side by side and give guidance (not bossing around) is the best way to keep the company healthy.

At the end of the day, the entire team takes its cue from the leader. Leaders must understand that they set the pace for their entire team and organization. This means they must model responsiveness, authority, and the pace as to which they desire from all their team members.

Take time to really get to know people- professionally and personally. Role model this by being vulnerable and allowing for a high trust environment. Stay curious and listen more than you speak.

Celebrating small wins can be the secret sauce to get a struggling team back on track! ?? It's like a booster shot of motivation and positivity! By acknowledging those little victories, team morale skyrockets, motivation soars, and momentum starts rolling! ?? It's like a domino effect of success! Plus, celebrating small wins reinforces positive habits and strengthens collaboration within the team. So why not throw a (virtual) party for our achievements, big or small, and watch that struggling team rise to the top! ????

To help a struggling team improve, a leader must first identify the root causes of the issues, such as communication breakdowns or lack of motivation. Open communication, setting clear goals, and fostering trust and teamwork are essential. Providing support, ensuring accountability, and recognising team efforts also play crucial roles. Monitoring progress, adjusting as needed, leading by example, seeking feedback, and promoting continuous improvement are key strategies to guide the team back on the path to success. By implementing these approaches, a leader can help the team overcome obstacles, regain momentum, and work together towards achieving their goals.

Effective communication and collaboration are essential for any business to succeed. Assess, regular team meetings, individual check-ins, and open communication channels are crucial for achieving our goals together. It is essential to address concerns and set realistic objectives (smart) to work collaboratively across all teams. Listening to staff is vital for implementing change and explaining the reasons why we cannot. Let's work together with a fair and inclusive approach to both individual and employer values/branding. Appreciate your team's achievements. Set your own leadership goals to assess your own performance and discuss with the team in a survey to support areas of development #teamwork #communication #collaboration #inclusivity