Effectively Communicating with your team

Leading a team can sometimes prove challenging and getting everyone on the same page is all about communication and how well you deliver the message to that team. Let’s take a look at some steps that you could look at to keep them all on that yellow brick road:

Align your goals: Set clear expectations for the team so that they know what they can expect from you and themselves and any deadlines that you might have in place.

Check in regularly: Try implementing a daily wrap, where the team send through a quick update of the day that was. This can help to pre-warn of any potential jack in the boxes that might jump up and avoid that element of surprise.

Encourage your team to share concerns: Don’t treat mistakes as a bad thing, they can provide a great opportunity to learn. Encourage your team to share any mistakes or concerns that they may have. It can help with building their morale and allow the whole team to learn. 

Be available, but set boundaries: It’s a great idea to be available to your team and approachable should they have any concerns, however it is also good to set clear boundaries as to that availability. Try quick 2 minute standing or even walking meetings so that you can still keep to your own deadlines and achieve goals.

Questions are key: It’s easy enough to tell someone how to do something, however if they are always relying on you for direction, they will never be challenged to think for themselves. Ask questions like, “How do you think you would handle this situation” or, “What do you think the client ultimately wants?” Allowing your people to think for themselves will ultimately empower them to make decisions and reduce micro-management.

While there can be challenges out there when it comes to team management, keeping the lines of communication open and a level of transparency can make the working environment a more productive and harmonious place to be.