It’s the dream and goal of every CEO that a company would run like a well-oiled machine, with every member of the team working in harmony. Unfortunately, this ideal is tough to effect in modern organizations, as large and diverse departments are subject to both challenging goals from leadership and fierce competition in the industry. While it can be difficult to effectively manage the people in your company to get them to work together efficiently and productively, it can be done if you’re willing to invest in your people while keeping these simple principles in mind.
1.) Manage People, Not Employees — People are not a number in a spreadsheet, but a collection of experiences and values garnered since birth. We all know this of course, but in fast-paced markets it’s all too easy to forget. When people are seen as the diverse individuals that they are, they’re more willing to sacrifice for the group.
2.) Listen to Requests — Though the volume of complaints and requests for technology upgrades or tweaks can often seem overwhelming, listening to and implementing the necessary changes from teammates’ feedback are necessary actions to create a team-minded environment.
3.) Delegate, Don’t Dictate — Good leaders can readily assign tasks to those with the skills to accomplish them successfully. As team members are recognized for their capabilities and given more responsibility, they’re more likely to feel valued and contribute to the team.
4.) Recognize Success — Today’s companies are far more prone to punish lacking performance than reward successes. Yet the former can have the side effect of causing self-focused behavior while the latter can greatly contribute to a team mentality. Be sure you’re regularly recognizing the achievements of your key people.
5.) Focus on Collaboration — Whether it’s through online document management software or regular team meetings in person, an emphasis on working together to accomplish goals boosts the teamwork of a task force significantly.
6.) Set Concrete Goals — Without clearly defined, time-sensitive objectives, a team is likely to crumble into a disjointed group of people each doing his own thing. Instead, team leaders should be sure to implement attainable, measurable sets of goals for their people to accomplish using simple project management software or other collaborative. technology solutions.
7.) Flex Your Game Plan — As projects progress, tracking results and making appropriate changes within the team are necessary. Whether it’s reassigning personnel to tasks at which they’d excel or streamlining workflow, calling an audible partway through a project is often essential. The team works better when each member is working in the right position.
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