Get The Most Out Of Your Team By
Knowing Your Team’s True Colors

Contributed by Trey Sloan

Everyone knows that leadership can be a daunting challenge. This is especially true when you are new to the experience. You may be promoted into a position of leadership for a team that you did not hand pick. Figuring out what kind of players make up your team will help you determine your team’s potential and then motivate the team to realize that potential.

Of course it’s best to select your own people. When you can do this, you already know the talents and experience of the individuals in your team. However, in business this is seldom the case and you often find yourself on a team of unfamiliar players. It is important to learn as much as you can about your new staff as soon as possible. To be an effective leader you need to know your team’s strengths, weaknesses, and perhaps most importantly, personality. Figure out the hand you’ve been dealt before playing your cards.

Look for characteristics among your team members that tell you who they are and what they can do for the team. Obviously, to make these determinations you must get to know your team and find out the team’s true colors. Meet with your team individually and as a group. Get to understand what they like about their jobs and what they would change if given the chance. Do not skimp on the time you spend familiarizing yourself with your staff and keep all lines of communication open. Let your team know that you support them and that you will not “sell them out.”

Look at the skill sets of the personnel available to you. Understand the differences between lack of aptitude, lack of experience, and lack of training. For example, if a worker has a great fundamental understanding of Excel® spreadsheets but is unfamiliar with databases, perhaps some Microsoft® Access training would be beneficial to the employee (and to the team). However, if the worker cannot complete a beginner Excel tutorial, money spent on advanced training would probably be wasted.

Set well-defined goals for the team and for the individual players on the team. Discover how you can help each person reach those goals. The way you motivate one team member may be very different than the way you motivate another. The personality of your team members can often tell you how to motivate them. Be careful that your tactics are not perceived as “playing favorites” or demeaning because creative motivation devices are always noticed whether or not they work.

Realize that you cannot turn all your team members into interchangeable parts. Successful leaders allow all team members to keep their style of work as the team realizes its goal. Some people work best if they have a sense that they are being counted on by the entire team (which, in fact they are). While everyone needs praise and a sense of accomplishment, some team members are most effective when they are reminded how you appreciate their work and their talents. One set of team members may feel they work best when they can share their ideas in meetings and work sessions while others are most productive working by themselves.

You may find that performance reviews are an effective communication tool that help you and your staff stay on the same page. These reviews help your team members understand their role on the team and provide them with a forum where they can communicate their expectations of you. This does not have to be an unpleasant task. If your reviews are productive, you can find out how to keep your team engaged and adjust goals so that they are realistic.

To keep people satisfied with their team role, you need to keep them interested. Offering team members training helps them do their job more effectively. Acquiring new skills keeps them engaged as they apply that knowledge to job-related challenges. As a team’s skill set grows, so does its potential. Do not hold your team back because you feel they are intruding on your territory. The most successful managers train their own replacement so that they can move up in the organization without leaving a “vacuum” of competence when they leave.

Nothing is better for a manager than when you allow the individual talents of your team shine through. As the leader, you are ultimately the servant of your team. It is possible, even advisable to delegate authority but you cannot delegate responsibility. You are responsible for knowing what your team is made of and allowing them to accomplish its goals.

Microsoft and Excel are registered trademarks of Microsoft Corporation in the United States and/or other countries.

About the Author:
Trey Sloan is a writer that has worked in the computer software and telecommunications industries for 12 years.

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