This year, I have had the great pleasure of running my “Leading with Empathy and Impact” programme with a number of organisations. This programme includes a combination of theory, games, exercises, and live feedback to help groups of leaders at all levels reflect on how they lead. Leaders can then further understand what changes they can make in order to listen with greater empathy and lead with greater impact. I have loved every minute of seeing some of the changes in behaviour of those leaders who are really committed to their development and success. Before we go through any session or any programme I will talk through and demonstrate how we can collectively create “The Conditions For Success”
I believe that in any organisation the clarity of expectations between a leader and their team and vice versa is crucial for achieving success. This alignment is built on a foundation of clear communication, creating accountability, support and agreeing shared goals. Establishing conditions for success involves setting expectations, defining roles, and creating an environment where everyone can contribute. I share below some key strategies for leaders to agree on conditions for success with their teams.
Effective communication is essential for any successful team. Leaders must ensure that their vision, goals, and expectations are clearly communicated with the team. This involves not only sharing information but also actively listening to team members’ feedback and concerns. Once the Vision and organisational goals are shared, the leader can then help their team to plot personal goals that align.
Setting Clear Goals and Expectations
Setting clear, achievable goals is essential for guiding the team towards success. This isn’t just about setting smart goals. Leaders should work with their teams to define what the team member wants to achieve to be successful in the year ahead. the steps needed to achieve this success and then the behaviours required in order to achieve. These behaviours are both for the team member and the leader too. Each leader will, no doubt, agree what they can do to support the team members success and how they can support it.
- How clear are your team on your expectations of them this year?
- What support have you agreed with your people to support their success?
Building Trust and Mutual Respect
Trust and respect are fundamental to a positive team dynamic. This starts with the leader and may involve the leader asking for feedback on how they are doing in relation to their communication but also against what they have agreed with their team. This demonstrates accountability of the leader to their people and begins to open up feedback loops so that feedback can go in both directions. Leaders could consider any or all of the following.
- Lead by Example: Demonstrate integrity, accountability, and respect in your actions. Leaders who model the desired behaviours, set the standard for the team.
- Recognise and Reward: Acknowledge the hard work and achievements of team members. Recognition can be in the form of verbal praise, awards, or other incentives. Most importantly recognise those team members who are speaking up and offering feedback. We can also be more conscious of catching people doing things correctly and re-enforcing these behaviours
- Encourage Collaboration: Promote a culture of collaboration where team members support, develop and provide feedback to each other. This can be achieved through collaborative projects and playing to peoples strengths to serve a collective goal.
Providing Support and Resources
For a team to succeed, they need the right tools and resources. Leaders should ensure that their team has access to everything they need to perform their job effectively.
- Training and Development: Offer opportunities for professional growth through training programs, workshops, coaching and mentorship. Continuous learning helps team members stay updated with industry trends and improve their skills. If our people aren’t growing, how can we expect the organisation to?
- Adequate Resources: Provide the necessary tools, technology, and resources required to complete tasks. This includes software, hardware, and access to information. This information may often need to come from the leader. Remember communicate, communicate, communicate.
- Supportive Environment: Create a work environment that supports people bringing their full and best selves to work. Asking how this can be created with them is a great start to create the conditions for success for people.
- What was the best work environment you were in?
- What contributed to that environment?
- What learning could you take from that environment to support the ones you work in today?
Positive Team Culture
A positive team culture is essential for maintaining motivation and engagement. Leaders should strive to create a culture that aligns with the organisation’s values and promotes a sense of belonging. Define and communicate the core values of the team. These values should guide behaviour and decision-making as a group. This could be from an organisational lens or by understanding the core values of our people and why they are so important to them. By giving everyone a voice in the team and how the organisational vision may align with their inner values, this will in time encourage different perspectives and create an environment where everyone feels welcome and heard. All these things so far deal with building trust within the team. With Trust comes calculated risk taking and innovation. With calculated risk taking and innovation comes an opportunity to improve.
Innovation and creativity are key drivers of success in any organisation. Leaders should create an environment where team members feel empowered to make mistakes to learn and propose new ideas.
- How involved are your team in making decisions?
- What mistake has a team member made recently that created the learning to support organisational or personal growth?
- How comfortable are you with risk taking?
Regularly monitoring progress and providing feedback is essential for keeping the team on track and ensuring continuous improvement. Agreeing on conditions for success between a leader and their team is a dynamic and ongoing process. It requires clear communication, patience, mutual respect, and a shared commitment to achieving common goals.
By setting clear expectations, providing support, and working together to create a positive team culture, leaders can create an environment where their teams can thrive and succeed. Ultimately, the success of a team is a reflection of the leader’s ability to communicate, inspire, guide, and empower their team members.
As leaders this may feel that we are letting go of control but letting go of the need to control is not letting go of responsibility. Letting go of some control is creating the opportunity for empowered action and for something really exciting to materialise.
