The First Step Toward Successful Leadership
Becoming a leader is a daunting task for anyone. Some people may be natural leaders, but even the best still have a lot to learn. If you’re looking forward to becoming a manager or other leader, you may feel overwhelmed about what you should focus on first. I’ll simplify it for you; before anything else, it’s essential to get to know your employees, and I’ll break down exactly why that is.
Get To Know Your Team
Getting to know the people you work with is important at any level, but it’s vital to the success of a manager. Everyone is different, and therefore, each person has different needs, skills, and motivators. Public praise may work for Emily, but Vanessa may become embarrassed. Likewise, working toward a promotion may be a goal for David, but Harry needs a performance improvement plan. These are very tangible traits, but there are also more subtle differences that are important to uncover. Looking into personality characteristics, learning styles, and strengths vs. weaknesses should be a top priority for any new manager.
What Happens If You Don’t?
At a very low level, you may find your employees are not growing as quickly as they could. This could represent a lack of understanding with regards to their motivation or skills. Where it becomes a larger issue, though, is when attempting to coach an employee out of a negative habit. An employee who is behind on their work may warrant some micromanagement. However, the same employee may be behind due to filling their schedule with unnecessary meetings. Until you know how they work best, you must be prepared to try new ways of accommodating each employee as best as you can.
Ways To Get To Know Them
Once you understand the importance of getting to know your staff, you may wonder how you can get to know them in a timely manner. There are a few different methods that will help:
- Personality testing can show a person’s preference for different learning styles and conflict resolution tactics.
- Reviews and other documentation allow you to see any patterns of great work or areas for improvement. This can guide performance plans, goal setting, and additional training.
- Sharing appropriate details about your own life may allow your employees to feel more comfortable. Something as simple as bonding over a shared interest in a football team may create an emotional connection that, over time, helps your employees’ job satisfaction and coachability.
The End Result?
While you’ll still run into issues from time to time, knowing your employees well will help you to make good decisions for them, your team, and the company. Your staff might see you in a more positive light, and you’ll have a better chance of managing a successful team. As you can see, there are many benefits, so go out there and get to know your team!
