Talent development is the best way to ensure greater engagement, it reduces stress, increases staff morale, motivation and inspires teams to go the extra mile.
With great leadership talent does not come and go rather it comes and grows.
Companies, organisations and teams don’t suffer because their teams are strong, effective and forever engaged in the mission of their companies.
Having a strong and effective team will create engagement and excitement, empowering the team with a “CAN DO” attitude that leads to great momentum for success.
In fact, we all know that there is a limit to what you can achieve on your own. Therefore, to enjoy greater influence, impact, and income, you need buy-in from the whole team.
However one of the biggest challenges leaders face today is establishing a process for this to happen – where should one start?
Start at the beginning….a very good place to start – Ensure you hire for Success
Don’t just to look to employ someone to fill a position. How often do we hear the term a position has become available? Employers, managers and team leaders do not always have a monopoly on the greatest ideas or best way forward.
Team engagement actually starts at the hiring stage. First, you must attract the best team for your organization. Spend time in the interview procedure to discuss the vision and culture of your organization. Look out for key areas, such as:character, commitment, courage, chemistry, competency, and compassion.
If you have inherited a team, I would encourage you still to focus on these 6 Cs,as you do this will build the framework for gaining the culture you need in order to build your business further.
From a great culture, talent development becomes easier and is expected. Create time, space and invest in training to develop the talents around you. Don’t just hire the hands and feet of people, look to hire the genius within them.
Everyone has talent within them, which needs developed. It takes a leader to draw this out for the good of the team.
In addition, every employee wants to feel secure in their career, as well as know there is growth opportunity. Leaders and managers who want outstanding engagement from their teams need to display and clearly communicate potential growth opportunities. They also need to identify and work with those employees that they want to grow with these opportunities.
Build the Best Team
Clearly, leaders play an important role in leading teams. Equally important, though, a leader must realize that they have a pivotal role in first “building” the team. In fact, there is a big difference in having a team that works “for” you versus having a team that works “with” you.
The first option is more formal. The team rarely exhibits much vision, and it feels that they are just there to do a job and that is it. However, when you have the latter, you have created a team that is engaged for success. A team that works with you typically displays:
- Loyalty
- Trust
- Vision
- Commitment to you and the team
- Desire to be and to deliver the best
- Accountability
- Passion.
These attributes can be found in many team members, but it takes a leader to uncover them—for them to flourish.
Avoid Criticism; Create Engagement
As I coach and train other professionals, I often see a “Tug of War” between the employer and the employee. This leads to frustration, wasted energy, and a breakdown of trust and productivity. Often, this can be traced back to poor leadership.
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When I train leaders, I highlight the importance of “Don’t criticize what you allow to happen.” It can be too easy for a leader to criticize a team member, often behind their back, without actually ever addressing the situation or person. The leader, therefore, allows the wrong things to happen, which ultimately affects productivity.
One of the best ways to create engagement for success is for the leader to be engaged with the team. When this happens the team is engaged with the leader. Success and engagement is then part of the culture of the team.
Provide Training for Transformation
Great leaders and managers are great because of great teams. To see teams engage requires leadership and managerial training. When a leader sees—maybe for the first time—what they can achieve with an engaged team, it can literally transform a company. And many leadership skills can be learned, including:
- Casting a vision—that has team buy-in
- Identify and recognizing emerging leaders
- Removing unrealistic expectations—so the team can exceed its limitations
- Creating a culture of engagement for success by all.
To be sure, leading a team is a great responsibility. The future holds many opportunities for leaders and managers to become better at leading themselves and their teams. More importantly, leading a team that is fully engaged in where you want to go is fundamental for increased productivity and profitability as well as delivering huge profits for the organization.
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Tony Lynch is an international business and leadership coach. He has been featured by INC in the ‘Top 100 Great Leadership Speakers For Your Next Conference’ as well as being a recognised TEDx speaker.
Through his coaching and training he helps his clients to create competitive advantage in business, which increases productivity, engagement and profitability. For further information please visit www.keepthinkingbig.com
Great post!