I don’t think that there is a
more important role a leader could take in the workplace than a relationship-building
one. Strong relationships between team members and between their managers are
essential to any team, and not just professional ones, personal ones. As part
of my routine while I was still training as a manager in my current role, I
spent the entire shift building relationships with my team and getting to know
them on a personal level before leading them. These relationships make giving
feedback easier, make coaching easier, and they allow me to work with my team,
rather than the team working for me. They know what do, how to do it, and when
to do it and I allow them the freedom to do their jobs as they choose as long
as they are meeting expectations set forth by the company.
In meetings and other forums
where decision are being made, I take the role of a facilitator where employees
feel valued and comfortable speaking. Everyone is on the same level, and I am
there to help them with their concerns, their challenges while developing them
and helping them succeed. I actively engage my team, whether it be through
recognition or through coaching to improve in an area. They know that when I
approach them it could be to either talk casually, speak about upcoming work
details, or to coach them and help them improve. I facilitate job tasks by
removing obstacles for them so that they can successfully do these tasks, and I
give them the information, resources, and training to complete them by our
standards.
I strongly encourage team members
to work problems between themselves to improve their communication and
collaboration skills, along with building a positive team culture. I allow the “captains”
of different functions to make decisions for their group and to respond to
different challenges they may face. This empowers not only the captains to make
effective decisions, but also the team members as they become involved in the decision-making
process for being the experts in their functions. I only become involved if I
absolutely have to because I want each team to work together, to form and
improve relationships with one another, and to be able to solve problems by
themselves using their knowledge, skills, and training.
The relationships I have with my
team members make it easier to facilitate tasks and empower them to make
decisions as a team. I trust them that they will make the right decision, and
if not, learn from the bad ones. They trust that I will support their decisions
and help them improve and learn if a bad one is made. Relationships create
trust, which in turn create a pleasant and strong atmosphere conducive to
learning, development, and high performance. They help by making team members
feel valued and appreciated for what they contribute to the organization.
No comments:
Post a Comment