Why Are Our Teams Important?

“I’m just there to do my job and get paid,” is a phrase executive coaches hear a lot from those in leadership coaching programs. And it’s relatable because it’s a mindset that has dominated the workforce for a long time! Why does it matter what job we have? Who our coworkers are? How connected we are to our team? How we communicate with them? When you lead with questions like this it can often take you the long way to success and leave you running into obstacles on the way.

Your team is your most useful tool - even the most innovative leaders cannot actualize an idea from the bottom up without the help of others. Think of it like sports, even the best player on the team couldn’t win the game on their own. In businesses, having a group of like minded individuals all motivated towards the same goal curate’s success.

Here are 5 techniques leaders can practice when building an efficient, effective and successful team!

1. Practice a Human-First Approach

Great leaders are ones who are able to read the room and determine the most appropriate way to interact with each member of their team, using emotional intelligence. Your coworkers are human beings, not robots, and the way you talk to them makes a difference! Not everyone is motivated by the same thing and treating them all as the same will work for some but will push others away.

2. Establish Expectations Early On

Entering an unfamiliar setting where we want to impress others can be compared to a sponge – we suck up everything we can as fast as we can. Selecting a great team starts with great people, but it also means setting ground rules and expressing expectations early on while the information is waiting to be absorbed. Do you want a company culture that thrives off each others success and collaborates to solve problems diversely? Express that to your team and get them comfortable with the idea of expressing themselves, and building connections from the get-go.

3. Engage in Leadership Coaching Programs

Building a team fostered around positivity, creative collaboration, and growth begins with shaping our mindsets and behaviors. Leadership coaching programs give you the understanding you need behind your own opinions to see where you can improve as a leader. Instead of criticizing when mistakes are made, acknowledge the problem, and take steps to correct it in the future. Creating connections with our employees is the most crucial step to team building, and negative feedback can be harmful when received inappropriately.

4. Communicate with Respect

Building a team you can trust doesn’t happen over night. Just as you may need some time to get to know each employee personally before you can trust them absolutely, they probably need to see you proving your words through your actions too. As humans, we love to know where we stand, how we’re doing, and what we can do to be better! Learn how to communicate bad news and how use positive reinforcement with good news to see the difference in how your team opens up to you.

5. Invest in your TEAM

Often, leaders are so focused on the next big thing that they forget about what they already have! Just because someone does not have the exact work experience that you were anticipating to fill a role, does not mean that they cannot step up. Give those who have already proven themselves as motivated, dependable and positive team members a chance, rather than sifting through the resumes of cyber profiles. Top talent could be right under your nose!

Be a Better Manager with Leadership Coaching Programs

Download our Leadership Development Program Guide to learn more.

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