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Your team could do better. Quarterly results could have been higher. The revenue goal set in the last board meeting could have been achieved. Only if you would have found the right way to empower your employees. Let’s understand How.
1. Lead by Example
Do you keep promises and deliver them? The promotion, the sales increments, the approved family leaves. If you do, that’s a great way to build trust. If you don’t, now you know. Start tomorrow. 🙂
2. Appreciate
I like the critical side of me. What about the place where you are not so critical? People are working for you, with you. They deserve some portion of the respect that they give you each time they call you “Sir”. You can respect them by appreciating their efforts.
“Be Kind, does not cost a dollar more.”
3. Make Eye contact
Your guys want to see you seeing them. They want to know what is the feeling sitting inside your chest. Your eyes will tell them, what they’re worth. They will also tell, what you are worth. Don’t look down, look up to people. They will start looking up to you.
4. Open communication
You just want to say what you would like. Seldom do you realise what it’s like to be in your team’s shoes. Do you really know what they think. Do you have any idea? If not, start asking open ended questions, before you jump to conclusions.
5. Offer Growth
Before the employee comes asking for a promotion, if you know it is due. He’s waiting too. Don’t outrun their patience. When people get rewarded for their effort – they stay, take ownership. Offer to monetise a piece of their effort.
6. Feedback
Offer feedback before and after an activity. How do you offer feedback before something is performed? That’s understanding how prepared and planned someone really is. Allow them to see roadblocks, plan for circumstances, get them ready. Show empathy, understand reason and whether someone is taking you for a ride. Do not try to create ideal scenarios.
”Allow room for mistakes.”
7. Be Nice
It is tough for people to be nice when they’re angry, upset, irritated and bogged down. If you can manage to still be nice to people around you, you’re going to build strong relationships. People start seeing you as a certain someone. Someone they can trust.
Have fun
All work and no play made the culture transactional. Everyone is so bored at the bank, because there are only transactions happening, and queues, but we’re not going to talk about queues. Just the laugh that vibrates the floor, smiles are passed, energy is revived. Energy helps people keep going even when it is routine work.
Summing up – just allow people to be, evolve and grow. Create an environment that lets energy flow. Life is already tough, don’t make it tougher for people. Quantify numbers, don’t let that affect quality of your workplace. Be there for people, they will be there for you when you need them the most. Peace!