Leading Your Team In 2008
Happy 2008! As we embark on a New Year, many of
us find ourselves optimistic and excited about the
upcoming year in both our professional and personal
lives. In fact, most of us recognize this time of
year as the best time to identify and set goals for
ourselves.
However, most of us find the task of taking action
to achieve our set goals daunting in and of itself
as it requires a sincere commitment and discipline.
So what if you're responsible for leading a company
or team to achieve outlined objectives for the year,
quarter or month? What steps can you take to inspire
motivation and commitment in your team members?
Whether you are an experienced leader or fresh faced
to leadership, there are a few simple steps you can
take to ensure that your team's goals are clearly
communicated and executed.
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Continued...
Communication
When working with a team toward a common goal, communication
should remain your number one priority, aside from
accomplishing your objective. It is the foundation,
the infrastructure, the life blood of your entire
project. Without it, you will not make any progress.
It is absolutely essential to ensure that every member
of your team clearly and correctly understands the
objective and how it will be achieved, including
what responsibilities they will carry in assisting
with the realization with the goal.
Mapping
When introducing priorities and objectives for your
team to accomplish within the constrains of your
timeline take time to break down each goal to include
specific objectives and timelines within the goal
itself. This allows each team member to trace how
each mild accomplishment leads to achieving the big
goal. Further it provides for the opportunity to
assign specific responsibilities to each team member
and how their contributions escort progress.
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Continued...
Set Expectations
Following the course of mapping, it is also important
to exchange your expectations for the projects and/or
goals so your team is aware of what is expected out
of them individually and as a unit. But remember to
continue to reiterate what the anticipated outcome
if everyone commits their best to each other and the
project.
Celebrate
Remember to acknowledge accomplishments. Specifically
recognize a team member that has put in extra time
for a project, helped out a colleague, made a contribution
that allowed for greater efficiency or saved money,
and when the team as a whole is doing exceptionally
well.
Leading a team toward a common goal is not an easy
feat, but by taking the time to follow a few simple
steps, the process can be made enjoyable and exciting
for all involved. |
