It is an interesting question – how well do you know the team you have been charged with leading? Knowing your team – understanding what makes them tick, what is important to them, how they make decisions, whether they look favourably on interactions with you or their team mates – is an important part of leading them well. I am sure that many of you will agree with that premise…
But do you know why?
The most important reason why is so that you can predict what they will do & how they will respond. As a manager, part of your job is to mitigate risks and one type of risk is the element of surprise. Surprises introduce a level of risk. So the best way to ensure a smooth running of your team is to ensure there are as few surprises as possible. People’s behaviour and reactions can be completely anticipated if you know them well. Think about the people you know well and you will find this to be true. You know what buttons to push or to stay away from; you understand how to deliver news in a way that will be accepted well; you can predict how they will respond and adjust your delivery or behaviour accordingly.
Predicting behaviour makes our interactions much easier and therefore more efficient – and it has the ability to reduce conflict and therefore wasted time and energy. It is believed that 80% of our actions are based on our behavioural preferences (how we do things) and 20% on our technical skills and knowledge (what we do – tasks); yet most of the average training budget is spent by companies on improving technical skills and only a small amount, if any, is spent on behaviour.
So now that we have talked about the why, let’s look at the how. The best way you can get to know anyone you are in any form of relationship with is proximity – by simply being around them. Proximity is important to building relationships. People get to know each other through this subtle reactions, responses and expressions that happen in everyday interaction. The result is that we get more efficient in our interactions and our productivity levels increase. As a manager you need to create times where the sole purpose of your team being together is proximity. To share a joke – to even rub each other the wrong way. Proximity allows a greater understanding to occur.
As we discussed in the last email, as human beings we all assume that when someone does something different to me they must be wrong. This can quite often result in annoyance developing simply because of different approaches that, in themselves, may be valid. A better understanding of those approaches can greatly improve team cooperation, morale, cohesion and culture. Whilst those annoyances can be reduced or eliminated over time, there is a short cut. Undertaking a Team Transformation workshop can give you the head start you need to better understand – and therefore predict – your own and your team’s resistance, motivation, communication styles and productivity. There are tools, such as the Myers Briggs Type Indicator, that allow your team to better understand the differences between the personalities at play and therefore fast track your proximity!
If you want a head start, give us a call and we can discuss with you the difference a Team Transformation Workshop can make. My experience tells me you will see immediate improvements.
Thanks for being willing to be a great leader!
Narelle