The world is starting to awaken, thanks to vaccine rollouts and lockdowns lifting. Now more than ever Leaders are hoping to step up performance and be the ones who capitalise when markets begin to return to some semblance of normality. But are your team ready to step it up?
Lead the Conversation:
As a leader, it’s your responsibility to lead. Now that may sound obvious, but a bit like “Common Sense” is not that common, some Leaders don’t lead, they manage. That is, they monitor the existing Systems & Processes and ensure Compliance & Efficiency. They allocate tasks and responsibilities, leaving all the energy and drive having to come from them. But the foundations of great Leadership begins with Hearts & Minds. It’s less about What you do or even how you do it and more about the Why. “I know you’ve read this S**** before ….. but STOP!” (That S****, was Stuff obviously, but I needed to grab your attention). It’s your responsibility as a Leader to light a fire within them, not under them. Otherwise, you’ll be exhausted and stressed out in a couple of months. Needing to keep at them because they don’t understand “Why” it’s so important.
So how can we make sure that the team is motivated and energised for the next stage? Well, first of all, take a look at things from their perspective. What do they Believe? How have things changed? What are our expectations and how will they need to contribute to help “us” deliver on them? Don’t guess it, ask them. If the belief is that its business as usual, then they will continue to do what they have always done. If the Belief is that we need to change in some way, then they will be happy to adapt. You can’t expect your team to change their “Actions” if they hold old “Beliefs”? Hence, them understanding “Why” is key? So step one is to review your “Vision” and your “Here & Now”.
Vision > Beliefs > Actions > Results:
What has changed during the Pandemic? Have timescales moved, the market changed, the competition shifted, your workforce been affected etc.? How will this affect our Vision for the future? Make them aware of all of the impacts and adjustments, good and bad. Agree on the new “Vision” and move on to reassessing your “Here & Now”, using similar criteria. Next is deciding how you and the team will go about “Bridging the Gap”, otherwise known as Strategy. The key to this is to break it into a step by step process that will lead from your “Here & Now” to your “Vision”. Having it clearly mapped out is what helps to create the “Empowering Beliefs” that will power the “Actions” and in turn, deliver the “Results”.
Make them part of the Solution:
Leadership is not about coming up with all of the answers. Quite simply, it’s about reading the situation and leading the conversation. Asking questions and remaining curious is the key to growth. If we want our teams to be motivated, give them a question. “How do we see the marketplace today?”. “Where are our opportunities?”. “What do we need to do more of or less of, to make it happen?”, and so on. Your people will feel valued, trusted and respected. They’ll add to what you already have (your ideas about the situation). We don’t need to pretend to be “Great & Powerful” like the “Wizard of Oz”. As a leader, you alone are not supposed to have all the answers. You are expected to Lead. And if you did have all the answers, then who would you be Leading? You’d be managing, not leading.
Conclusion:
If you’ve got a team and you’re a leader, you’ve got to “Lead” them. Review the Vision, your Here & Now and your Strategy with the team. Reignite their motivation by remaining curious and asking them questions. If things have been tough or business difficult, they’ll need you to lead them out of it. You’ll need them to explore “Why” things need to change. This will enhance the sense of value, trust & respect amongst the team, and that my friend is the key to a motivated team.
Damian Shields is a Performance Coach and the owner of Focus2Succeed. He works with Leaders & Teams to help them “Get their world in Focus & Design their future”. To find out more go to www.Focus2Succeed.ie. You can contact Damian @ Damian.Shields@Focus2Succeed.ie or on 00353 (86) 2512421
