“My team is not engaged during our meetings, is unenthusiastic about our company, is not committed to our action plan, and doesn’t achieve the desired results. Moreover, with some team members we are in a constant conflict. Sometimes I feel that I failed as a manager…”
Each team has a mission, a goal to achieve, a plan to develop, a target to meet, and a general purpose. Working with diverse people it can be a challenge. Although diversity might have a powerful impact on a workplace, however, it can be stressful and overwhelming to establish a common mission when you have to deal with people with diverse skills, experiences, expectations and different backgrounds. Creating a successful team requires time, energy, and good management skills.
1. Give meaning
Support your team to find purpose in their working environment. Give a meaning means helping your team members to identify the desirable stimulation to their daily working life in the long-term. Some employees work for a pay raise, or for a higher bonus, while others work for the challenge, the achievement, and to help others. A monotonous repetition of job’s objectives might create boredom, lack of commitment and loss of engagement and excitement. Human beings are purpose-seekers. Employees need to know why they have to work on different objectives and how they will do it. They need to find out what’s important in their work and a way to align their passions with the company’s goals. Linking personal drivers with organizational goals can be extremely beneficial to motivate and engage unenthusiastic team members.
2. Connect with your team - Reestablish relationship
Being a manager or a leader is a role with time-consuming responsibilities. However, taking the time to connect with your team and reestablish fragile relationships will be the precursor of a successful team. It is imperative to find out if your people are happy with their job, what are their career goals, or what can you do to make their work more engaging. You will know your team members better and find their passion through one-on-one meetings, team activities and by dropping by their desk to see if they are fine. A good manager needs to discover what truly motivates his team and what drives them to succeed. A manager should be ready to explore underneath the surface.
3. Utilize individual strengths and eliminate negativity
Nobody wants to work with negative people. Happiness is contagious, so does negativity. A positive working environment does not only improve the well-being of employees, but brings out the best in everyone and those around them. You need to give your team the chance to flourish. An effective manager focuses on the potentials of their team members, cultivates a working environment that encourages taking initiatives, creates a space for inspiration and autonomy, and provides an overall sense of freedom, belonging, and self-worth. When you create a supportive working environment, it is easier for the team members to stay connected to their work and to you.
4. Knowledge-sharing relationship
Extraordinary skills are present in a workplace that embraces diversity. Most of the time your workforce is composed of people with an exceptional educational background, transferable skills, and valuable experiences. You should not only provide knowledge and guidance, but leave the door open to acquiring knowledge. This is a win-win situation as your employees feel valued, you will gain new perspectives, a deeper understanding of your workforce, and in cases of an age difference, you will cover generational gaps.
5. Ask for feedback.
A manager does not only provide feedback, but also is open to receive feedback. Nobody is perfect and just because you are higher in the hierarchy does not mean that you cannot improve by team members’ feedback. Do not seek feedback only from your own managers, but also from your team. Find out why they are not satisfied with your actions, what can you do to improve, or what you should have done better. Listen to your team and allow them to be your mentor. A solid relationship needs to be built on trust, reciprocity, and acceptance. Asking for feedback means that you care about your team members and you value their opinion.
6. Allow failures
A manager strives for excellence and fears failure. Failures and mistakes are inevitable. However, it is not the failure or the mistake, but the approach we take on how to fix it. We all make constant mistakes, especially when it is expected to go above and beyond the expectations. Failure is a great learning opportunity. Embrace mistakes, re-evaluate the processes and efficiency, but at the same time encourage everyone to think about the mistake in a constructive way. Do not focus on what the team does wrong, but on how to solve the mistake and what to do to avoid the same mistake again. Employees who learn from failure are more likely to share their knowledge with others about lessons learned and helping current employees to overcome obstacles.
"The way a team plays as a whole determines its success. You may have the greatest bunch of individual stars in the world, but if they don't play together, the club won't be worth a dime."