The people in your team may feel a bit uncomfortable when you sit down and spend time with them, particularly if they're not used to it. They might not be used to you doing it or perhaps a previous manager didn't do it. It's often the case that people are uncomfortable because they associate their manager sitting down with them as a prelude to a reprimand.
As Kenneth Blanchard and Spencer Johnson say in their book 'The One Minute Manager' - "Catch people doing something right" Too many managers think that their job is to - "catch people doing something wrong."
Many old style managers believed that their job was to check up on what their people were doing and "sort things" as required. Many employees today still feel that's still the situation. If a manager comes close to you then they're checking up. If you've got that culture amongst your team members, then you need to change it.
Think of it this way - are you the kind of manager who spends time with your team to find out what they're doing or to find out how they're doing. Make sure it's the latter.
Some of your people may even be a bit scared of you particularly when they first join the team. You may believe that - "you're much too nice a person for anybody to be scared of little old you" - however I used to believe that too.
One day I was discussing a new salesman with John, one of the more experienced guys. "Young Patrick's scared of you" he said. "Don't be ridiculous" was my reply, "What have I ever done to make him scared of me, I'm always really nice to him." - "Well he is scared of you and just wants to please you" said John.
This was something that really made me think because there was no way I wanted any of my team to be scared of me. Now that I was aware of it I took more care in my dealing with Patrick and our working relationship worked out okay.
So always be aware of the impact you're having on your people; you may think that you're the nicest most reasonable person in the world but how do they see it. Sadly, there are some managers who quite like the fact that their people are a bit scared of them and they see it as a positive situation. These are also the managers who spend a lot of time recruiting new people.
I can remember times when I've taken over a new team. I've had many strange looks and defensive body language when I've stopped to have a chat with some of the team. Some field sales people would get extremely uncomfortable when I told them I'd be spending some time with them visiting customers. However, I always knew that I was getting it right when at later date a salesman would ask - "When are you coming out with me again Alan to see some customers."
There's always going to be members of your team who are really keen to spend time with you and others who are less so. However, you must spend time with everyone - more with some and less with others. If you do it right, then your people will start to get used to it and start to see the benefits to themselves.
Discover how you can generate more business by motivating your team! Alan Fairweather is the author of "How to get More Sales by Motivating Your Team" This book is packed with practical things you can do to get the best out of your people . Visit http://www.howtogetmoresales.com
cleaning team near Winnetka ..A grassy field, two nets, a soccer ball and some... Read More
Recently, while developing a customer service program, I asked my... Read More
Last month's edition of Footprints and Monuments illustrated a parallel... Read More
Ever lost for ideas while working in a group? One... Read More
When was the last time you spent excessive time and... Read More
Perhaps you're a small business owner wondering how you and... Read More
The very effective tool of keeping a journal can be... Read More
Leaders are faced with unlocking the potential in the people... Read More
Workplace safety is important to all businesses for ethical, legal... Read More
The Sales Director had organised a great conference; the venue... Read More
The people in your team may feel a bit uncomfortable... Read More
As a manager, your employees will come to you with... Read More
Let's look at the detail of giving feedback. Whether you... Read More
Introduction:Working with teams, whether as leader of a single team... Read More
Several years ago I took an assignment as a Manager... Read More
A tight knit team is a group of competent individuals... Read More
Teams don't have to be aligned with the goals of... Read More
Survival: The Name of the New Economic Game People rarely... Read More
People who lead the best teams realise early on that... Read More
Companies often have incentives for reps, but sometimes that isn't... Read More
In most organisations the administration/support team, although they can be... Read More
"Conflict becomes politics, commitment becomes 'Only if it's in my... Read More
There is a WHOLE lot of talk these days about... Read More
Feedback is such an important communication tool. Openness, honesty, candor,... Read More
A tight knit team is a group of competent individuals... Read More
family-safe home cleaners Northbrook ..Proactive High Performance Teamwork is made up of nine proactive... Read More
12 Tips and Reminders for Team Members To Enjoy Their... Read More
The Dance of ConflictWhen faced with the prospect of meeting... Read More
TEAM LEADERS WORKSHOPAlice asked Cheshire cat "which road should I... Read More
When was the last time you spent excessive time and... Read More
On the trail in Northern Canada "Marche" was the word... Read More
A grassy field, two nets, a soccer ball and some... Read More
1. Involve them. Many employees want to be involved in... Read More
In days past, loyalty was a given. The worker in... Read More
As I work with clients to strengthen their teams and... Read More
As a business owner, I've had staff come and go... Read More
Group discussions are where much of the creative work of... Read More
To be a success is not always to be a... Read More
Turbulent TwistersYou've read about it in the headlines and experienced... Read More
A tight knit team is a group of competent individuals... Read More
Presenteeism is alive and 'not well' in many businesses today.... Read More
More and more I hear people misunderstanding what someone else... Read More
Too often teams aren't assembled. They just happen. A project... Read More
The people in your team may feel a bit uncomfortable... Read More
When was your last team celebration? Have you been way... Read More
If asked to look at your work calendar for the... Read More
The world of work has changed. It used to be... Read More
The first in a series of articles giving a slightly... Read More
Several years ago I took an assignment as a Manager... Read More
Internal business structures have been radically transformed over the past... Read More
Team Building |