How to Push Your Team to Get the Most Out of It
Good leaders know that success hinges on a great team. They also know the importance of pushing their teams to achieve more and produce better results. But even if everyone has this understanding, there is still no straightforward way of doing so.
So you end up watching another video or reading another book about becoming a better leader — yet you’re left entirely in the dark regarding what those things are supposed to look like. Take these four tips for how you can PUSH your team so they might achieve an all-new level of greatness!
PUSH = Pay Attention + Understand + Share + Help
Tip 1: Pay Attention
When a teammate accomplishes something, congratulate them. Compliment on their new haircut. Get coffee for them when they’re busy or ask them how they’re doing if you know that there’s been something going on in their life lately. It doesn’t take much effort to do these things for people and can make a big difference in someone else’s day! But don’t pretend you care about someone to look good — that makes everyone feel worse and isn’t helpful. Instead, show genuine interest in your teammates because being attentive and honest is the first step toward building strong relationships!
Tip 2: Understand
We all, at times, feel exhausted, pissed off, or maybe unheard and unappreciated in our work environment. However, we can take steps to prevent these things from becoming issues before they start. To do so, we must build empathy — first by breaking the ice and talking about what we’re feeling with others. This will allow them to open up more, which helps foster stronger relationships between individuals. As a listener, ensure that you never interrupt someone while speaking and actively listen without thinking of how you’ll respond until after they’ve finished sharing their thoughts.
Tip 3: Share
Teams of all sorts and sizes need to share information and collaborate to succeed. To maintain communication, CEOs must provide a clear vision while setting goals for the team. Without this initiative, conflicts arise among teammates who make wrong assumptions about objectives. Researchers should contribute their findings to every corner of the company. Departments should also communicate every upcoming change or update, so everyone knows what is happening. In addition, teammates should share articles, books, tools, videos — anything they come across that might be helpful for others. And last but not least, share a funny video or a silly gif to help survive a tough day.
Tip 4: Help
When someone around you has been struggling with the heavy workload and becomes discouraged, please lend a hand to prevent it from taking over their life. Share some of your responsibilities so that they feel less burdened. Perhaps they need constructive feedback to see what could be done differently or what changes may help them feel happier at work, and then they can move forward faster. Or maybe an opinion on how specific changes would impact future operations is needed. At times, emotional support might motivate them even more. Managers should make available opportunities for mentoring, training, and skill-building. Create realistic goals — too much pressure will only lead to frustration and burnout. Offer a day off if you know they won’t be productive because something is happening at home.
Final thoughts
Foster a culture where everyone has a voice and feels like they can contribute. Develop a team where every member feels comfortable admitting mistakes, asking questions, and offering new ideas without fear of punishment or embarrassment.
You’ve learned how to PUSH your team — now, consider Tip 3 as a starting point and share this article with your teammates.
