It’s Monday morning and you’re about to go into your first team meeting for the week. You know the team has worked hard, delivered good results and whatever you need from them, they get it done. But something’s missing – while everyone is doing enough to get by, you know that it could be better. But how do you go about asking them for more, when what is being done, is still getting the job done.
One of my most memorable roles was leading a team in just that situation. These are some of my learnings that helped us take that leap from average to best in class:
1. Understand the individual profiles within the team:
Always bear in mind that we are always working with people. People who have their own dreams, goals, reasons for working, and an array of experiences that is unique to them. Spend time to really understand what makes them tick. Ask them what they enjoy doing, why that is the case. Analyse how they like to be rewarded, how they prefer feedback and let them know that nothing they say will be held against them but advise key messages will be shared with the team to enable growth. An important part is to also to share your goals and profile with them, but remember the session with them should be spent with you listening, and them talking. Ensure you are somewhere you won’t be interrupted and take the time to really get this information. Your HR business partner should be able to provide plenty of resources on the how/what and but the golden rule is always to keep it simple.
2. Understand the team profile as a whole:
Once you’ve got a got a good grasp on the individuals profiles, take it to the next step. What does your team as a unit look like? What are the strengths, the goals, and gaps when it comes to vision of the team’s objectives? Don’t forget to add yourself to the mix – I’m definitely of the management philosophy that manager is part of the team. A simple mapping exercise can demonstrate the individual strengths and opportunities as well as the attributes of the team.
3. Fit it together:
Once you’ve got a grasp on the individual and the team make up, get them all together and share the results. Advise what people like doing and what they are struggling with. Pull together all the information as a team and identify the talent and strengths of the team. Emphasise that the best in class is a team priority and is the sum of the individuals. Bring in the KPIs/objectives and how strengths of the individuals/team play into this but also what gaps there are. When looking at the KPIs, add a target level but also a stretch element. The 1st part of the session is to inform. The 2nd part of the session should be on the how. Let the team work on how the gaps will be addressed and what could be done to achieve stretch level targets. Your role as a manager during this last stage is to facilitate and let the team work on goals and possible solutions. Let them negotiate tasks and define success and accountability. Empower them to know that if tasks need to be re-allocated, then they have say in this. A key outcome of this meeting is to work with a few targeted goals over a set period and publish them, whether on white boards or graphs, and make review of these goals a mandatory requirement.
4. Practice as you Preach:
As I mentioned above, the team does include you! Learn to roll up your sleeves and get stuck in. Teams value that approach – it shows you are walking the talk! If there are tough deadlines, especially if you want to reach a stretch goal, let them know you are there to pitch in and work on deliverables. And when you say they have say in how work is shared and reviewed, stick to it. Step in if major issues arise, but trusting that the team are accountable to the targeted goals will, believe it or not, resolve most issues because the team are tied in given their personnel involvement in the goal setting.
5. Planning and Regular Catch up
There should be a “no surprise” culture within the team. Sitting down with the team on Monday morning is mandatory and attendance is compulsory – make sure the rest of the business know this, including the CEO/CFO. The meeting should start with what worked well last week and what didn’t go the way we planned. The team should reflect on why those items went well and what could be learned from those issues that didn’t. The team should advise whereabouts for the next two weeks and also if anyone needs to step in and assist so there is minimal business interruption. Next on the agenda should be running through what was supposed to be done in the preceding week and if any issues. Next, there should be focus on the week ahead as well a quick forward review of the next month. Finally, a status update of targeted goals should be done, and, if necessary, steps to be taken if there are gaps identified. Each individual should participate and all items should be on a whiteboard, or ensured it is saved on a shared drive. While it may seem like a lot to cover on a weekly Monday morning, once the team holds it a few times, it becomes part of the natural business rhythm.
6. Support, Support, Support:
This is crucial. Despite critics of this “emotional” management style, when your team knows you have their back, there is nothing they won’t do. And support doesn’t mean agreeing to everything and allowing team to bypass responsibility. It’s about being available to discuss issues, giving them encouragement, being patient and overall, championing the team! Finally, recognition and reward play a part in this support culture. Ensure that you put into practice your learnings from the individual sessions and understand how your team members like to be rewarded – don’t take for granted its money as some individuals appreciate a day off or thank you note. As with the first point, it comes down to listening, observing and being genuinely interested in the team and its members.
I believe when you decide to become a manager, you have a desire to want help people achieve their very best. With all the administration time and people issues, I can’t imagine wanting such a role just for the money! When you experience a team go a step above the norm, there is pride and joy in seeing people you care about achieve their goals and realise the potential you always know they had. The cherry on the top is knowing the team is delivering exceptional results.
On a final note: To all the teams I’ve had the privilege of leading: you’ll probably recognise some of the above – I’ve certainly have the teams to thank for some of these strategies! I am so proud to have been part of your careers and seen you all achieve both personal and professional goals. Thank you for all your hard work, loyalty, support and trust!
Prenelle Rungan – 26 June 2017
Prenelle is a fully qualified CA and lawyer. She has held senior finance roles with global and local companies over the last 15 years. She is currently a Director of BizSync Limited, a consulting company that strives to start businesses on the right foundations.