Maria,
Excellent strategy. Be prepared for those team members that for whatever reason do not embrace your approach. Think about how you might would handle those who do not agree or comply.
Ron Obstfeld
Setting goals and making every effort to meet it! Also, reiterate your company core values.
Delana,
Remember goal setting and goal management is an ongoing process. They require continuous communication and coaching to ensure agreed upon outcomes.
Ron Obstfeld
To improve team performance I would ensure each team member is heard respectfully and equally.
I've always found that restating the purpose or goal of the group is a good way to improve the performance if it seems to be getting off course. At the beginning of a meeting, talk to everyone about how the task they are working on fits into the overall vision of the company and getting them excited that their contributions could help achieve that vision.
Mike,
Good techniques. I would suggest that you let the team members do most of the talking. This will allow you to know if they really understand.
Ron Obstfeld
I like to conduct monthly one on one meetings to discuss progress with the person. I send them the agenda the week before and ask them to complete it so that they are the one who is able to drive the meeting and discuss what they wish. The agenda is just a template and the actual topics we discuss are up to the person. It seems to be very effective.
Great question Ron,
For me, the absolute most effective tool for improving team performance is feedback. More specifically, the feedback must candid and as close to real-time as possible.
- Mark
I give encouragement often and provide support. If one on my team members is not performing their best, I investigate the matter quietly and them work a solution out with the team member. If several of my team members are having an issue with each other, I meet with them and help them get beyond their grievances.
I can fully understand where your coming from; we have had incidents where staff members have lost all professionalism and are arguing and telling each other to shut up. They need to check themselves and the behavior... my issue is if this is how you talk to each other, what do you say to students?? It is completely harmful for the production of the company and the well being of the students if focus can not be attained.
Robert,
This behavior you described is totally unacceptable! They should be coached by the manage. I would go one step further and observe their behavior in class and maybe solicit student feedback through anonymous surveys.
Ron Obstfeld
I do believe if teachers or instructors behave in such a manner they should be disaplined. I think regular observations would be a positive thing. Having a student secretly doing valuations on facilitators is not a good idea all though having the students do a critique at the end of every course is a good idea and accoplishes the same thing.
As a team leader I feel that I can constantly improve my personal leadership ability and use corrective measures to improve team performance. One thing that I feel I should/could improve on is individual discussions outside of the meetings. As well as listening better. I also think that as well as being a better leader I need to keep the idea of "buy in" with my crew. Make them understand what they and everyone else is doing and why they are doing it and why it is important. I also think that more meetings as we don't have a lot as it is, would be better. Not death by meetings but short update meetings with progress that we are all held accountable for.
