Leading a team can be difficult, but can be easier if you focus on treating the team members right. Here are my 10 commandments on how to get people on board.
Make them feel like partners
You are the boss but you do not need to ‘play boss’. Express trust and confidence in your team. Give them honest feedback; give them a voice and chance to lead so that they feel they have a stake in what’s going on.
Encourage them to aspire: Widen their horizons and help they see a whole new world. For example, take junior colleagues to ‘big’ meetings where they get to meet people they would normally not meet. This will be good for their careers and for building their confidence.
Don’t be a microscope
By this I mean, don’t blow things up, escalate things or make them worse than they actually are. When people make mistakes, they usually know it; help them learn from them instead of rubbing it in their face.
Judge them on potential: Don’t be too busy to assess and nurture potential. Ask the right questions, challenge them to do more and to keep pushing toward their full potential. Give people opportunity and don’t run such a tight ship that there’s no room for genuine mistakes.
Don’t try to fit anyone into a mould
You can only do this well if you genuinely listen to people and what they need. Give autonomy to those who can handle it and hold them accountable. For those who require supervision, give them that support.
Make rewards meaningful
Not all rewards have to cost money. For example, a colleague who completes a complex project successfully might appreciate being given a day or two off ‘on the house’.
Now take action: Think about 3 ways to make help your team feel like partners.
