While only 10 percent of teams produce the intended results, it doesn’t mean you, and your team needs to be in the 90 percent range!
As an effective boss/leader, you must be able to diagnose team issues and communicate the changes effectively as soon as possible. Allowing problems to linger, or ignoring or denying them will sabotage your results now and in the future.
Secrets to Achieving the Required Results
Ensure the Goal is a Real One. Goals should be ten words or less! If it is longer, the true goal may be camouflaged in vocabulary and sabotaging actions. Shorten the goal to be crystal clear and flat as a pancake without add-ons. Now, review the milestones and actions being taken. Do they support fulfilling the goal?
Manage People for Results, Not Their Personalities. The foundation for successful results is bring the right people onto the team by using objective job fit data and assessments. If they later decide to leave, let them. Focusing on the work that needs to be done and the best people willing to make it happen is critical. Manage team conflict and different personalities to ensure everyone’s opinions are heard, and everyone is valued. Do not allow name-calling or blaming — since those actions are not easily forgotten nor forgiven.
Complete a What Worked? / What Didn’t Work? exercise. (See Chapter 20, Get Your Brag On!) When done correctly, this exercise will provide insights into progress made and what stopped the team/project from moving forward. Have everyone complete this exercise individually since collectively are less likely to skim over critical details that initially seemed meaningless. Now, review all the results together as a team.
Address Miscalculations, Bad Data, or Other Critical Thinking Issues. Ask one or two experts from outside the team for input when this happens. It doesn’t mean you do it the way they recommend, but it does require incorporating their insights appropriately.
Brainstorm. Focus on the top three issues. Address one problem at a time while knowing one can impact other concerns and current non-issues. For example, reworking the budget can impact money already spent. Ask open-ended questions and ensure complete work is being done.
Go Round Robin. Encourage everyone to speak. While this may seem like it takes longer to resolve the issue, it doesn’t. If someone withholds information (e.g., not being asked for their opinion), the person may end up withholding important information delaying a resolution later in the process.
Alignment Not Consensus. Waiting to reach a consensus will limit the speed of moving forward since factions have agendas. Doing complete work upfront makes decision-making easier. Address everyone’s issues and aim for alignment (for the details click the link).
Inspect Results. By reviewing the numbers, did you achieve the intended outcome? What is the impact on others and their thoughts? Address further actions to be taken. Don’t forget to acknowledge each and every team member for their work.
©Jeannette Seibly 2024 All Rights Reserved
Jeannette Seibly is a Talent Advisor/Leadership Results Coach with over 31 years of practical experience guiding leaders and bosses to improve their hiring, coaching, and managing practices and produce amazing results! And yes, achieving business success always starts with having the right people in the right jobs! She has been an Authorized PXT Select® Partner for over 32 years. Contact Jeannette to learn more about these state-of-the-art job-fit assessment tools or how to coach and manage your people to achieve incredible results.