Leadership Monthly Update - The Challenge of First-level Leadership
First-line supervisors and team leaders occupy a pivotal and often challenging role in organisations. They are responsible not only for their own work output, but also for the performance of their team.
This role can be a challenging one, particularly for staff with little or no previous leadership experience. Often they feel “caught” between the expectations of their team members and management.
As a result, team leaders and supervisors may feel isolated. This can be particularly hard for a supervisor or team leader who is now in charge of a team they were once a member of.
Hints for easing the transition from team member to team leader:
- Don't expect a technical expert to automatically be a people expert. Make regular opportunities to coach them in their new leadership role.
- Conduct a goal setting session with the new leader.
- Assist in setting boundaries.
- Coach in social boundaries e.g. don't discuss work when socialising with your team.
- Assist the new leader to understand their role in managing the performance of others.
Your role is not only about easing the transition for new leaders. Providing appropriate support for all your team leaders and supervisors is vital. To ensure all feel supported:
- Promote open channels of communication - both upwards and downwards.
- Be seen to uphold the team leader's authority.
- Provide support, coaching and training if required.
- Give regular feedback on what you observe. Explain what you saw the supervisor do or say, and the effect you observed.
- Listen. Being available for people to come and talk over concerns is essential.
HOT TIP: Consider succession planning for your team leader and supervisor roles. Give likely future candidates leadership experience wherever possible - for example, delegate key project tasks to them. Give them short-term project team leadership responsibility. Invest in some leadership training for your newly appointed team leaders and supervisors, and for high potential people.
For information about Nexus Partners' leadership programmes specifically for supervisors and team leaders, email me at info@nexuspartners.co.nz or call on 0800 4 LEADERS. More information is also available online.
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Poor Management - The Number 1 Productivity Killer!
The 2005 Workplace Productivity Survey conducted by the US Society for Human Resource Management found that 58% of respondents identified poor management as the biggest obstacle to productivity.
This prompted us to ask: What do people mean when they identify "poor management"? What actually gets in the way of productivity? Reviewing our research base and recent writing on the subject brought us to the following conclusions.
8 Ways Managers Inhibit Productivity
- They fail to communicate effectively.
- They do not make needed resources available.
- They do not set clear goals.
- They do not communicate a vision.
- They do not provide feedback - positive or negative.
- They fail to recognise success or good performance.
- They do not enforce consequences for inappropriate behaviour or substandard performance.
- They do not hold people accountable.
This leads to apathy among staff, unclear goals and little enthusiasm for achieving the goals of the organisation.
Building Productivity through Leadership
It follows that the leader's role in motivating their followers to be productive is key. Last month, we checked out the Gallup Employee Engagement Survey. Our research this month showed us that productive employees are engaged employees. To build employee productivity, the role of the leader is to build employee engagement. Check out the next article for tips on how to build employee engagement.
Building Employee Engagement
Engaged employees are productive, self-motivated and your organisation's greatest asset. One of the key factors in employee engagement is good leadership. To build employee engagement:
1. Be an effective communicator.
- Communicate everything relevant to staff. Some managers believe "knowledge is power" and hold information close to their chest. This promotes an attitude of suspicion and negativity. Communicate openly and encourage your staff to communicate with you . This promotes a climate of sharing and a common purpose.
- Listen and show you are listening. Let people see that what they have to say is important to you. Show you are listening by stopping what you are doing, making eye contact, and asking relevant questions.
2. Set clear goals.
- Make sure your staff know what is expected of them, and by when.
- Be collaborative. Encourage your staff to have input into their work goals.
3. Have a vision, and communicate it with your team
- People who are enrolled in a shared vision are 6 times more likely to report themselves as committed to the organisation.
4. Provide regular feedback
- Everyone needs feedback so they know when they are doing well, and what they need to do to improve. Regular feedback keeps goals clear and helps people feel that they are on the right track.
5. Hold people accountable
- Hold staff accountable for their performance, for their behaviour and for achieving their goals.
- Enforce consequences when necessary, for example no bonus if performance does not warrant it.
6. Celebrate success
- Reward your team members for good performance. Rewards might be tangible such as a certificate or bonus, or as simple as a "Thanks for all the extra effort you put in to get this project completed". Showing staff that that their input is recognised and valued is a key to engagement.
For information about how Nexus Partners can assist you with strategies for building employee engagement throughout your organisation, email me at info@nexuspartners.co.nz or call on 0800 4 LEADERS.
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Key Factors in Team Behaviour
Last month we discussed clarifying expectations. This month we're looking at the subject of interpretation.
Missed last month's segment? Read it online!
Factor 3: Interpretation
Our interpretations of what is going on around us - our assumptions about what people are thinking or feeling, or what they "really mean" - have a huge impact on our interpersonal relationships.
We all interpret things other people say and do on the basis of our own experience and knowledge. We often accept our interpretation as a fact, and then act on this interpretation.
For example:
A team member comes into the office and does not acknowledge his colleagues.
You assume he has had a bad night and is feeling grumpy (interpretation)
You decide to leave him well alone (action)
Meanwhile, that team member may not have greeted others because he was focused on an important deadline, and was hurrying to make a note of something important before he forgot it. When no-one speaks to him all morning, he feels unsupported and interprets: "No-one around here cares about my workload."
These errors of interpretation can lead to tensions and conflict within the team.
Our interpretations are often based in our expectations. If everyone's expectations are clear and explicit, it is much less likely that your team will encounter conflict caused by errors of interpretation.
To prevent errors of interpretation:
- Clarify expectations (See last month's segment)
- Use active listening techniques to check your understanding of spoken messages
- Notice yourself making assumptions ("Kiri's grumpy", "Jim must have problems at home") and challenge them. Come up with at least 2 alternative causes which might result in your team member's behaviour.
- Check your interpretations - ask people about their needs, if you are unsure
As a leader, your role is to model this behaviour to staff. If you model that checking of assumptions is important, others will follow you.
Email me at info@nexuspartners.co.nz for more information about Nexus Partners' team development programmes, or call on 0800 4 LEADERS. More information is also available online.
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Tips for Delegating
Many leaders find it difficult to share work amongst the team effectively. Yet is essential to do so. Good delegation gives the leader time to think strategically - and gives your team a sense that they are trusted to make a difference. The leader is responsible for training and developing staff - delegation of work and authority is a means of testing and developing the individual.
When you delegate, some discretionary power is transferred to your follower, as delegation implies the transfer of authority as well as responsibility. Although immediate responsibility may be delegated, FINAL responsibility still rests with you.
When should I delegate?
Ask yourself these questions:
- Is doing this task the best use of my time?
- Can somebody else do the task better than I can?
- Would somebody else benefit from doing the task instead of me, in terms of their personal development?
If you can answer yes to any of these questions, the opportunity exists to delegate.
Essentials to Good Delegation
- Give clear, precise instructions.
- Ensure the person has adequate skills or training.
- Ensure the responsibility does not exceed their authority.
- Use judgement when deciding who to delegate to.
- Staff must know the background so they can exercise delegated authority intelligently.
- Delegation should be progressive - increase the load as the person develops in their skill and confidence.
- Avoid delegating yourself out of a job! Retain work involving major implications or decisions.
- Encourage staff to solve problems for themselves, but always be approachable.
Want some help with delegation? Email me at info@nexuspartners.co.nz or give me a call on 0800 4 LEADERS.
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