Companies know that if they want to thrive, they have to get the best from their staff. But getting that extra juice out of them isn’t always straightforward. It requires patience, know-how, and an understanding of how the human animal works.
That’s where this post can help. We look at some of the ways managers and team leaders can get the most out of their staff and deliver the results they know they can achieve. Here’s everything you need to know:
Build A Culture Of Trust
The first step involves building a culture of trust and communication with the team. You want to ensure they know they can come to you the moment they have a problem. This sort of openness fosters a sense of community and boosts team dynamics, ensuring everyone can work more effectively together. It also improves the likelihood major issues won’t get buried in emails or paperwork, but that staff will address them in collaboration with you and other managers.
Once you have a two-way street of communication going, it makes it more straightforward to talk to staff and give them instructions on how to improve. It’s more about dialogue and training than brow-beating.
Invest In Growth And Development
Another strategy to get more from your staff is to invest in growth and development. Training employees to perform the roles they do can increase productivity and competence, reducing the number of unhappy customers you have to deal with.
For example, if you have front-of-store sales staff, invest in their education. Send them to sales courses to teach them how to perform better on the job.
The same goes for analysts. Putting them on courses that improve their data skills can help them provide your organisation with more profound insights going forward.
Empower Your Team
As HR consultancies like Waddington Brown suggest, you also want to find ways to empower your team. If they come to work every morning believing nothing they do will make a difference, they will do the bare minimum. But if they feel like they can move the needle somehow, they are more likely to feel motivated and work hard.
Empowering your team can take various forms (including rewarding them for hard work). But the most effective way is to give them more autonomy. The more control they feel they have over their work, the more likely they are to thrive going forward.
Create A Supportive Work Environment
You also want to create a supportive work environment. Not everyone is a rugged individual, ready to do battle with the world. Most people need others to deal with the challenges of work, and therefore, should be able to get help when they need it.
That’s where creating a supportive work environment can help. You don’t have to be a therapist to everyone, but working for you should feel safe.
You can create a more supportive work environment by offering employees flexible working hours, positive arrangements and collective team celebrations. The more you do these things, the more trust you will build.