I was talking to Ty Kiisel, a good friend and Forbes writer, about the two truths each manager should know about their team. We have discussed this over many months and have summed it up with two truths.
The Two Truths of Team Management Success
1. Every Team Member Wants to Do a Good Job
No one wakes up in the morning and says, "Today I want to do a bad job." The truth is that every person wants to do a good job. This is where you come in. As a manager, you get to positively or negatively impact that statement daily.
Start with this.
Look at each team member with this phrase in mind, "Today, <insert team member's name> wants to do a good job. How can I help them do that?
Then.
Start recognizing the good work each team member does. Be specific with each compliment. You can't just come up and say, "George, good job today." Be specific. "George, thanks for taking the lead on the product launch strategy. Your analysis and recommendations were very clear and spot on. I am excited to execute what you suggest. Awesome job."
Define their job (role) clearly.
The more clearly defined a team member's job or role, the more consistent they will be at achieving a "Good Job". Once again, this is where you come in. Each of your team members should be able to say. "My job today is to <team member inserts what they focus on each day>.
Truth: Each team member wants to do a good job.
2. Every Team Member Wants to Win
The truth is simple, but very powerful. Each team member comes to work to win. Here is where you come in.
Start with this.
Look at each team member with this phrase in mind, "Today, <insert team member's name> wants to win". How can I help them do that? Are there any obstacles I can remove to ensure they win?
Then.
Define what a win is. In sports we do this everyday, we clearly define how to get points and how to win. Many times managers forget to clearly define what a win looks like. Not only that, but they forget to teach teams to learn to recognize and celebrate wins. This is key.
Celebrate wins, even tiny ones.
Once your team members understand what it means to win. Start celebrating. Many times wins go unrecognized and uncelebrated. It you want to create a winning team environment teach your team to recognize and celebrate wins, even tiny ones.
Truth: Each team member wants to win.
The Power of These Two Management Truths
As a manager, you are only as good as your team. You can't do everything. You can't be every where, nor should you want to. Winning teams utilize the strengths and talents of their team members. Winning team managers utilize the two truths we discussed above. Remember the two simple truths to team management success:
Every team member wants to do a good job and every team member wants to win.
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