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
scheduled cleaning services Winnetka ..Team Building Question:Our office has recently learned that about 20... Read More
One of the most memorable quotes that I heard from... Read More
According to the Oxford Dictionary of Current English, to speak... Read More
You're at a meeting with key staff. You want some... Read More
The ability to build effective teams is a must for... Read More
Group discussions are where much of the creative work of... Read More
Who keeps the wheels turning in your organisation? Who holds... Read More
Maybe you find yourself in a new team environment and... Read More
Too many techies get a bad rap for lacking teamwork... Read More
The very effective tool of keeping a journal can be... Read More
Having experienced more than my fair share of conflict over... Read More
Truth on mlmDid you know that the truth on mlm... Read More
Turbulent TwistersYou've read about it in the headlines and experienced... Read More
Creativity can be defined as problem identification and idea generation... Read More
We all know someone who just drives us batty. Perhaps... Read More
It's the summer of 1973, and a young film director... Read More
I'm often asked, "Why is my team always fighting fires... Read More
"Asking questions can be a means of establishing authority, fulfilling... Read More
Franchisors should also be heavy on the award side of... Read More
Why do we human beings complicate things? Is it that... Read More
Recently, while developing a customer service program, I asked my... Read More
Young minds are quite easy to shape. International Terrorist recruiters... Read More
A lot of effort has been carried out in the... Read More
Once you've set a goal for yourself as a leader... Read More
Leaders are faced with unlocking the potential in the people... Read More
reliable maid service Lincolnshire ..Many believe a leaner government promotes better freedoms with respect... Read More
Creativity can be defined as problem identification and idea generation... Read More
If asked to look at your work calendar for the... Read More
Did you know your work environment can actually make you... Read More
From the moment he putted with Bob Hope on the... Read More
The Dance of ConflictWhen faced with the prospect of meeting... Read More
Why do we human beings complicate things? Is it that... Read More
There's nothing that matches the power of teamwork to accomplish... Read More
As I work with clients to strengthen their teams and... Read More
TEAM LEADERS WORKSHOPAlice asked Cheshire cat "which road should I... Read More
Companies often have incentives for reps, but sometimes that isn't... Read More
Recently, while developing a customer service program, I asked my... Read More
1. Humor reduces stress levels and stress is the number... Read More
Ever watched a really brilliant idea meet with resistance and... Read More
Have you seen the tee-shirt with the slogan, "Talk to... Read More
Having experienced more than my fair share of conflict over... Read More
The world of work has changed. It used to be... Read More
12 Tips and Reminders for Team Members To Enjoy Their... Read More
The company picnic is a beloved tradition at many firms.It's... Read More
The first in a series of articles giving a slightly... Read More
One of the greatest challenges a coaching manager has is... Read More
More and more I hear people misunderstanding what someone else... Read More
There are few industries or service type businesses, which are... Read More
Companies often have incentives for reps, but sometimes that isn't... Read More
Consensus is the appropriate decision strategy for the most important... Read More
Team Building |