Relearn Leadership to Impact Your Team

As a leader, whether in an organization of any size or a business owner, your team members rely more on you than ever. A recent Gallup poll revealed that 77% of employees consider their manager's role more significant than ever.

How prepared do you feel daily to give your team members what they want? And need? If you’re like most leaders, that fact causes some anxiety. You have enough concerns, like ensuring consistent productivity and profit. You need them. They need you, too.

In the next few paragraphs, I will give you some tools you may have previously used but recently neglected or some new ideas to consider.

First, here’s another statistic to motivate you…48% of employees surveyed are open to seeking new employment…and you know what that costs financially, mentally, and physically.

Improve your listening skills.

You have so much to do and so little time. I know. The scenario that probably rings true to you is when someone comes into your office to ask a question, vent, or give you bad news. Are they looking for help or guidance? Are they just keeping you in the loop?

What’s your natural response? Do you tend to give a quick directive so you can resume your interrupted tasks? Let me suggest that to show the leadership they want, and for you to make an impact,

• You pause, breathe
• Give them eye contact? ??
• Pay attention to your body language,

And ask them a question. An open-ended question. The question might sound like "How can I support you?" or "What are your thoughts on how to proceed?" or another relevant question. Then, listen. Listen to understand and follow up with another question to be sure you heard correctly. In other words, actively listen. Hear what they say. Let them know that you hear and understand them. People want this more than anything, as we learned years ago from Stephen Covey. Digging deeper, asking open-ended questions, and actively listening take more time, and you and I all have the same 480 minutes in an eight-hour workday. However, the extra effort will be time well spent and appreciated by your team. They will feel you are in the situation together and see you as a partner in problem-solving. You will make an impact.

Be flexible

We all know by now that people have different needs, and the different generations working together now reinforce this fact. Who is on your team? If you have a mix of different generations, one-size-fits-all policies won't work. Do you know what they want? Did you ask or not ask because you’re not willing to offer options?

• Gen Z may want more vacation time,
• Baby Boomers may want more flexibility in hours to take their elders to doctor appointments.
• Gen X may want to work on Saturday and leave early on Thursday to watch their teenager at a sporting event.

I suggest that "because we’ve always done it that way" be erased out of the policy handbook. Instead, the practice listed above, asking questions and listening, will carry you far in creating a positive culture. People don’t care what used to be relevant. They want what they want now, and as leaders, it’s our responsibility to discover what they want and, to the best of our ability, deliver it. You will make an impact.

Give them the rewards that they want.

Instead of being frustrated, scratching your head, or pulling your hair out because you can’t figure out how to reward your team, why not give them what they want?Do you want to know how to know what they want? Simple…ask them.The aforementioned points about flexibility align with the topic of rewards.

To reiterate, individuals are motivated and excited by different incentives. Some prefer gift cards, while others value additional time off and various other ideas. And guess what? If you cannot offer a wide variety of items and can’t provide exactly what they want, you can still consider their requests. Your inquiry carries weight.

Did I offer some tools to support you while knowing that 77% of employees count on their leaders more than ever and inspire you to use your skills that will encourage your team to stay with you because you show you care? Shoot me an email to tell me how. Stay tuned for more.

I’m adding a kind of a ‘bonus section’ called Relearning. As I've been recovering, I’ve been Relearning quite a few lessons, and I want share them with you.

What I’ve relearned

Resilience.

When I first started physical therapy, I explained to my physical therapist that two things are part of my identity, and I want to participate in them ASAP. The goal is to prepare for the Susan G Komen breast cancer 20-mile walk in a few months; the other was to get back to playing pickleball. The therapist is doing a good job listening, yet I felt frustrated and annoyed while I was at physical therapy yesterday. He had me doing some exercises, starting with throwing a ball against the wall and shuffling side to side. I was humbled; this exercise felt so basic. Then, I realized that I deserved to give myself some grace and relearn how to do these exercises that were once so simple. I know now that I am being humble and resilient.

From a business perspective, what previously worked smoothly but now requires refreshing? Is a major overhaul necessary? This is the time to demonstrate resilience.

Are you perplexed about how to create a culture that will build morale at your company? I'd enjoy a conversation with you. Contact me at [email protected] or visit my website at www.thechampgroup.com.

Make today matter.

Shine on.