Hey manager! Stop complaining about your team. Start motivating them to become the people and the creative, productive force you need them to be.
Nothing is more frustrating for a manager than a team that just can’t get it done. They come close, but you never seem to get a win … or you never finish anything without a series of unnecessary complications or sidebars. Stop all that. While you may need some new people, it’s also possible you just aren’t doing enough to give your current team what they need to get it done right. Here are a few questions you need to consider.
Are you listening to specific complaints? Now, I’m not talking about that guy who always seems to have a gripe or that woman who perpetually melts down at the first sign of difficulty. Those people need professional help, not management coaching.
That said if you have competent, professional people who keep talking to you – or each other – about specific issues related to projects, workflow or issues within the office … LISTEN TO THEM. You hired those people for a reason. It doesn’t matter if you “think” they’re wrong if you haven’t really taken the time to educate yourself.
Are your team members working well together? I’m not talking about communication here. I’m talking about occupational chemistry. Do you have the right people working on the right jobs and the right people working together? Is everyone on your team paired with the worker who best complements his or her skillset? Have you ever considered how each person and job in your department works together to create the finished whole?
Are you learning from your mistakes … and are they? If you have people who are doing the same wrong things again and again, make them stop. Don’t perpetuate a losing cycle. Make it right. Nothing is sacred in business but success. “We do it this way” is never a good excuse for failure.
Are you missing an important skillset? Is your team complete or are you essentially playing down a man? Do you have everything you need to succeed or are you just trying to make do?
Are you employing shady jerks or good people? This is a vital question. If you have someone who turns in good numbers but doesn’t work well with other people, that might work well for a time, but he or she is not a team player. Hire people of ambition AND character and you will go farther than you can with a bunch of self-important jerks.
Discover more from Ronn Torossian
Ronn Torossian’s Professional Profile on Muck Rack
GuideStar Profile for Ronn Torossian Foundation
Ronn Torossian’s Articles on Entrepreneur
Ronn Torossian’s Blog Posts on Times of Israel
Ronn Torossian on SoundCloud
