Don’t give feedback
We all need some feedback from time to time to get a sense of what we are doing well and what we can do better. Surprisingly, team managers or team leaders often forget this or see it as a once a year event at the annual appraisal. If you want to keep your team engaged, make a point of giving regular feedback.
Playing the blame game
Simple question: When things go wrong, do you stand up and take responsibility or try to pass the buck? The best leaders and managers know that taking responsibility for the results that are or are not achieved goes with the territory. Don’t play the blame game if you want to be respected as a leader or manager.
Hold on to all the good stuff
As the leader or manager, you probably are one of the first people to get access to some interesting projects or tasks. While it might be tempting to hold on to the good stuff, giving the opportunity to someone else can act as a great opportunity for personal growth and motivating others.
Micro-managing everything
Nothing is more annoying than having someone micro-managing you. You probably have seen this in action for yourself. The boss tells you that he or she wants to empower you and instead hovers over you and checks on you so frequently that it starts to irritate you. If you want to empower, say what the outcome is and get out of the way.
Be a scrooge with praise
Praise is the lowest cost way of motivating others and, sadly, tends to be the least utilised. It only takes minutes to praise someone for their efforts or the results that they have individually or as a team achieved. In return you will get loyalty, rapport and willingness back in bucket loads.
Focus on your agenda
It is easy when you are under a lot of pressure or facing a lot of demands to worry excessively about your agenda and forget about everyone else. Be alert to your focussing too much about your agenda and forgetting about the team’s needs.
The Bottom Line
A motivated team can make a huge difference to the results that you achieve. So what do you need to start doing to leverage that potential and achieve even better results?
Now I invite you to sign up for my free Weekly Leadership and Management Success Tips at http://www.goalsandachievements.co.uk/?pid=26
Duncan Brodie of Goals and Achievements (G&A) works with accountants, health professionals, teams and organisations to develop their management and leadership capability.
With 25 years business experience in a range of sectors, he understands first hand the real challenges of managing and leading in the demanding business world.
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