Everyone knew she would be successful, but was she a good leader?
I remember meeting her on the zoom call that day. I made a conscious effort to listen not only to what she was saying but also to what she wasn't. As she discussed her employees, she expressed frustration, saying, "They just aren’t focused. They don’t understand hard work, they don’t take it as seriously as I do." She sought my assistance in finding a way to instill drive in them, wanting them to embody the same level of determination she has.
During our conversation, I asked her a couple of questions:
Do they fully understand what is expected of them? I mean, is it crystal clear without a doubt? Is it broken down in a way that they, themselves will know if they are not meeting your expectations?
Do you have a clear understanding of what you expect from them? Is it crystal clear to you, so that you can measure their performance and take appropriate action if they fail to meet their goals?
While these may seem like a couple of simple questions, they often go overlooked when leading teams. We want revenue to grow, we want team spirit, we want so many things from our team, but we must first be clear as to exactly what it is that we want. Can these expectations be broken down into annual, quarterly, monthly, and weekly goals?
Are you able to monitor progress? Can they? When I led my sales team, they knew I expected 5 sales per month from each of them. We reviewed progress weekly, we congratulated those who hit their goals, and offered support to those who did not. This expectation was stated over and over in every meeting, casual conversations, and became embedded in our culture.
When team members were not hitting that mark, they frequently approached me to discuss ideas and strategies for improvement. There was nothing left for question.
How do you monitor your team's progress? Do you establish project goals or focus solely on tasks?
If you are unsure how to break this down into a measurable time frame, I encourage you to involve the team. Discuss the overarching goals of your firm or department, seek their input on expectations and forms of measurement. The more you solve problems together, the stronger the team and the more meaningful the business becomes to all of you.
Learn more about Optimized Success Coaching at www.oscoaching.org