Is your company going through a challenging time? Do you find yourself trying to make the most out of the current business situation – that has been shifting dramatically?
Well, you’re not alone, it’s inevitable. The business world and the global economy are constantly changing, sometimes you are benefiting from these changes and sometimes you are on the struggling side. When you’re struggling, even before you start coping with your problems, you can can look up to historical figures that have dealt with difficulties in order to gain inspiration.
As a manager or a business owner, you have no choice but to step up your game and adjust yourself to the new business reality. It’s not easy and can be daunting, but you got to do what you got to do. The first place you need to examine your next steps is the way you are managing your team.
People are your #1 asset.
Now that your reality has changed, are you sure that your team knows what they are supposed to do? Do YOU know what they are supposed to do?
It’s not easy, as there is a lot of uncertainty that you are dealing with at the moment, but you need to figure out what you need to do now and craft a new and actionable plan, to be clear and concise, make your team follow you, and come out stronger from this current failure or crisis.
A very important aspect of it is understanding that you are the one managing your team, not the circumstances. Even if things are not working well, you can overcome it, you have the power to get it done.
Moreover, you can actually use these tough times for boosting your team’s performance. Making true and significant changes in your working habits and environments is something that rarely happens, not many managers are making real changes in the way their teams are working, and most of the managers are not even trying to. And what other timing can be better than these though times, when you are making significant changes anyway? Since you are sincerely overviewing the entire operation of your company during these tough times, you have a great opportunity to shake old paradigms and tighten your team’s working habits and performance.
The following tips will help you to put your focus on the key elements for boosting your team’s performance and your company’s success.
1. Does your team communicate well?
How would you rate the quality of the internal communication in your team?
Are your people talking to each other?
When someone needs help, can they just go ahead and talk to you, or with a senior colleague?
Are people struggling to understand the emails that you are sending? Or the ones that their teammates are sending?
Do you think that people are engaged and interested during your presentations?
Do you think that people are engaged and interested during your team meetings?
Do you think that people really understand what they need to do?
How long does it take for the people in your team to begin executing your instructions?
When someone is facing a problem, how long does it usually take for them to report it?
If you’re not sure what are the answers to the questions above, or if you know the answers and they are not good, then it’s time to dive into your internal communication processes and habits.
Once you’ll really break down your team’s process of communicating you will have a very clear insight about what you need to fix. Sometimes, depends on how much attention you gave to this aspect, you’ll be amazed/shocked to see how stuff is really working.
2. Are you managing your team well?
Generally speaking, when managing your team you have main 2 roles as a manager. To instruct your team what to do, and to make sure that it is being done properly.
When you are looking to improve your team’s performance, you need to take an honest, real, look at yourself.
What is your part and responsibility in the current situation?
Are you a good manager?
Are you making the most out of your team’s potential?
Are the goals that you are setting clear?
Is your plan for getting these goals understandable and actionable? I.e. do people know what they need to do every day for the next week, month, quarter, year?
Are you conveying your own story and the company’s story in a compelling way?
Are you connecting your team to your mission? I.e. are your people feeling that this is more than just a job for them?
How are your interpersonal skills? Do you know how to talk to each one of your team members? Can you connect with them on a personal level?
When times are tough you are honest, as you are truly open to making real changes. It’s time to really examine your own performance as a manager. There’s nothing that will help your team to improve more than a more qualified manager that can get the most out of them, that can get the most out of himself.
Furthermore, one of the best ways to make your team follow you is to show them that you are making changes in yourself as well, to show them that you practice what you preach.
3. Deepen the solidarity within your team
Your team’s morale might be low as they know that things are not working well, it’s no secret. But you can set the tone, and control the narrative. Start by setting a personal leadership example, speak genuinely about the difficulties, directly tackle them. When they will see that you are being open and authentic, it will make them feel closer to you personally, and to the company in general.
People are not afraid of challenges, as long as they see that they can trust you, that you are looking objectively at the situation, not trying to sugar coat it, rather than working hard to find solutions and turnaround the ship.
Connect your team to your mission by telling the truth. Use your inner connection to the situation. Show them that you care about them, show them that they’re important. Once you will be completely honest with them you will see that your team cares about the company’s situation, and that they are ready for a new challenge.
When done properly, this act of openness, of leadership, will fuel them with a lot of energy and motivation to get the job done, to get more out of themselves for helping the company.
This moment is when you can really harness them to the new goals and challenges. Build their confidence, make them feel like they are an elite unit that can achieve everything.
4. Establish new performance standards
Now that your team is more committed to the challenge, it’s time to raise the standards. Again, it is a time for big changes, so it is the perfect timing for demanding new and better things from your team.
The first step for achieving that is to set up a super-target that will be exciting for your team to accomplish and will get the most out of them. Create a plan for achieving the super target, but break it down to small actionable daily goals. Be assertive, manage your team to achieve these small goals every day, as this is the point where you are raising the bar, by putting your focus on daily improvement.
Demonstrate them the power of momentum, show them that they just need to keep going and stay persistent, and massive results will appear.
Be resourceful, as times are not ideal and you don’t have endless amounts of time and money, you have to get the most out of your people. Make them believe that they can improve every day and do the impossible. Lead your team, show them exactly what you need from them, manage them clearly towards the goals. Use your personal relationship with every team member for maximizing their performance, and don’t forget to show them that they are appreciated and that their hard work is recognized. These appreciation, recognition, and solidarity are key elements in your success, as they are what will make your team want to go the extra mile and fight for you and for the company.
5. Set up an ambitious deadline
By setting an ambitious deadline you are making sure that your people will do their best for getting the job done. It’s not easy to get stuff done on time, and even more when it is a short period of time. Even if they will not succeed, and miss the tight deadline, they will still improve a lot more than if they would have a convenient one.
Also, even if your next weeks and months are unclear and you are not sure what your exact goals will be in the near future, it is better to set up a deadline and change it rather than wait for something to happen.
However, it is important not to discourage your team, as some of them will be thinking that you are mad and even resent you, as they will be feeling that they have no chance to achieve what you are asking them for. If you will be confident and empathic though, you can avoid that. Again, you need to make them believe that they can improve every day and do the impossible. If you will convey it well, they will feel empowered by your trust and belief and unconsciously start to accept the deadline and realize that they are able to get it done.
