How Leaders Can Make Their Team More Productive
Want to help your team become more productive? You might be doing it wrong.?
While systems like "Getting Things Done" or "Timeboxing" are popular for improving individual leadership productivity, we must remember that the focus of leadership isn't only the leader.?
A study revealed that leaders who only concentrate on their productivity can unintentionally hinder their team's productivity.?
Why is this so??
When leaders become the hub of the workload, their team's productivity takes a backseat.?
This has been verified by the Leadership Productivity Model, published in the Journal of Applied Leadership and Management.?
According to Christoph Desjardins, a researcher at the University of Applied Sciences in Germany, most leadership training has failed to produce sustainable behavioral changes. The training often focuses on abstract leadership concepts without providing practical guidance.?
So, how should leaders shift their focus??
Desjardins states that leaders need to consider not only their productivity but also their team's productivity.??
Here's a look at what he and his colleagues suggest:?
Goal Orientation?
Create, revise, and agree upon goals together as a team.?
Leaders should empower team members to define and achieve these goals. Sadly, many employees don't have a clear understanding of their company's mission or leadership direction.?
Support?
Desjardins found that leaders need to spend more time with their teams.?
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This means interactive meetings, providing necessary information, giving feedback, and coaching team members.?
Time Optimization?
Leaders should ensure the efficient use of team time. This includes considering team constraints when assigning tasks, planning schedules with everyone's needs in mind, and running effective, efficient meetings.?
The bottom line??
Successful leadership isn't about the individual leader's productivity—it's about the team's productivity. Leaders should set clear goals, be available and responsive to their team, and respect their team's time.?
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From the Prialto blog archives.