After years of starting and running companies in different times, places and communities one thing is obvious: these days having more money is not the only thing that makes a company successful. Money is easy to get. Technology is available, to everyone. What is hard to find. And what really matters. Is a companys ability to get its people working together quickly and well. A companys ability to mobilize its people is what really sets it apart from others.
Team management is really important. It is not about being nice to people. It is about being a leader. The main goal of team management is to figure out how to make teams work together. This means creating a workplace where teams can think carefully work hard and trust each other and their leaders. When teams can do this they can get a lot done quickly.. When they do not have this kind of environment, they can not do their jobs well.
Leadership That Mobilizes People, Not Just Resources
As leaders, we need to ask for people to question us. If someone disagrees with us it does not mean they do not like us. It means they are watching out for us. When people on our team feel okay about saying what they think pointing out problems and saying when they are wrong we make decisions. We do not have big problems that cost a lot of money. If it is too quiet that is usually a sign.
Diversity of thinking is really important. Teams do a job when they have people with different professional backgrounds and working styles. People who have had life experiences also make a big difference.. Just having diversity is not enough. You have to make an effort to use it.
Pace is just as important. When we think about the term getting burned out is not something to be proud of. It means we have failed to manage things properly. To keep our team from getting too tired we need to be realistic about what they can do keep an eye on what needs to be done and make sure we take care of ourselves too.
Recognition and development are really important. They make things work. Feedback is necessary. It should be given often. It should be clear and based on what people do. People need to know what they are doing well. Leaders have to help people see what is coming next. They have to show how the work they do today will lead to opportunities tomorrow.
Establishing Trust as the Operating System
Trust is really important. It is what makes a good team work together. Without trust the team does not work well and everything takes longer. Trust is, like the thing that makes the team run smoothly.
Transparency is where we need to start. Leaders should be very open with the information they share especially when they have to make decisions. When leaders explain why they are making changes like changing the direction of the company or when they have to cut the budget or make changes to the organization it helps people trust them even if the news is not what people want to hear. If leaders do not share information people will start to guess what is going on. That is never a good thing.
Leadership is about being consistent. Consistency is the pillar. People do not just listen to what you say they watch what you do more closely than they listen to your words. When you apply standards to the leadership and you hold everyone in the leadership to the same expectations and you make decisions in a predictable way that is when you start to build confidence in the leadership.
The Role of the Leader
I have figured out one thing for sure at this point in my career. The manager’s role is not to be in charge of the work that people do. The manager’s role is to make sure everything is, in place so that people can do work. We are here to help people do their jobs and make things happen. We are not here to watch over people and make sure they are working hard. The manager’s role is very important because it helps people do work.
