- Choose well
Know the skills and personalities your team needs to function at its best. Instead of choosing people “just like you”, select those who fill the gaps created by the areas that you find challenging. If you have chosen well you’ll be able to trust your team to “own” the task once they have the brief. As my team told me “by doing this you transmit confidence and support to the team, so we feel encouraged to work harder and deliver the best results.” - Plan and communicate
Just as marathon runners in the Olympics need the blue line on the road to guide them along their course and to the finish line in the stadium, so too a team needs a map of its tasks and goals. Without a plan and clearly defined roles, your team cannot follow the optimal path to successfully achieving its goals. Unfortunately, no plan often means a team may not even find its “finish” line. - Set a clear direction
If the Olympic marathon line was marked with a felt tip marker, the track would not be clear enough to see, not to mention probably disappear with the slightest weather change. For your team to function well, you need to be clear about exactly what it is to achieve. For example, Red Balloon, an online gift retailer of experiences, wants to have reached 10% of Australians and New Zealanders by 2015. To remind her team of their goal, founder Naomi Simson installed a large LCD in the lobby that updates each moment a new gift experience is sold. - Involve your team
You may recall the drama when Sally Robbins laid down her oars in the women’s eight rowing in Athens. Without joining the debate over how or why this happened, I believe it provides a good illustration of what happens when the whole team is not involved in contributing to their plans and goals. Team members may simple stop pulling their weight if they feel their effort is not integral to the outcome.
- Regularly communicate both ways
In his book Mastering the Rockefeller Habits, Verne Harnish suggests a rhythm of daily, weekly, monthly quarterly and annual meetings to maintain alignment and drive accountability. Admin Bandit has an international team and we communicate daily on work being done around the world to make sure our plans are met and any potential problems are solved before they become a reality. - Publicly praise, privately chastise
Give praise, which can be as simple as sharing positive customer feedback, in public to encourage individuals and boost team performance generally. Supporting your team this way creates a cohesive until that works well together, with behind-the-scenes “blame games” minimized. The best way to alienate a team member, however, is to humiliate them by pointing out their mistakes in front of others. - Be willing to make decisions, even if they are tough
A team leader who won’t or can’t make decisions leads to a frustrated team. This is not to say you make all the decisions, but your role sometimes means the buck stops with you, especially in tough situations. Be willing to put your stake in the ground and stand by it. If the decision turns out to be the wrong one, admit it, change it (including an incorrect team member choice) and move on.
About the Author
Brand It Effect is about making communication simple and targeted. We’ll help you reach your clients with the right message, in a way that suits them, at the right time. Having a strong and trustworthy brand is achieved through clever strategy, design, key messaging and making sure all the ways...
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