Telling your team the solution to a problem isn't always the best strategy. As a leader, you will often see a way to solve the problem before your team does, but using a solution suggested by a member of your team can often be far more beneficial. The more your team feels engaged, the stronger they become. Having a quick solution to a problem may seem important at the time, but building an unbreakable team is tremendously more valuable.
]]>We all know that communication is essential if we want to have a well functioning team. However, there seems to be a threshold that our ideas need to pass before we feel they are important enough to interrupt someone to share them. What happens to all of those potentially beneficial ideas that we feel aren't worth stopping someone to talk about? There is a potential gold mine there and all we have to do is find a way to dig into it.
]]>We have all been through some form of annual review. To be honest, I think it has lost it's value. We want to be able to measure growth and improvement from year to year, but we end up only addressing what has happened in the previous few months. What would happen if we threw the idea of an annual review out the window? Is there a different system that would be more valuable to you and your team?
]]>Many managers find themselves in a position where their primary job is to "put out fires." However, what happens to your team when you stop trying to contain the fires and start trying to fuel them instead?
]]>Many of you lead teams that are paid to work for you. But there are a handful of you that are dealing with a slightly different beast. What happens to an organization when there is no paycheck at the end of the week? Is there a difference between for-profit and non-profit teams?
]]>Step one: have a plan. Without step one, step two and three are pointless. Michael Cardus reminds us that having a proper process is just as crucial as having a proper plan (see shownotes). We must remember that the first version is only the first version. Your team has a lot to add and a great leader takes advantage of every resource at their disposal. Have a plan, but don't forget about the process.
]]>So, you're having a bad day. Everybody has them, right? What makes you any different? Well, when you hold any sort of authority on your team you must understand that you can be infectious. You do not live in a vacuum, and neither does your team.
]]>No matter what your opinion is of the TSA there is something to we can learn from them. Have a plan! If you trust your team you owe them a plan. Let them succeed. Let them shine. At very least, give them something to work with.
]]>So you want your boss to start watching Fragmnt.tv. How do you suggest it without getting fired?
]]>If I had to give advice as to where to focus for 2010 I would relay words from a High School football coach. "Do your own job before you step in to help someone else." Otherwise you become the weakest point and, in essence, defeat the purpose of helping in the first place. This is valuable for your team to remember, but of utmost importance to you as a team leader. You only make your own job more difficult when you don't have it together, and you proceed to "manage" someone else. Worry about yourself before you point your finger at the next person in line.
]]>