Understanding & Connecting with Your Team

"Leaders matter greatly. But in searching so zealously for better leaders we tend to lose sight of the people these leaders lead. Without his armies after all, Napoleon was just a man with grandiose ambitions. Organizations stand to fall partly on the basis of how well their leaders lead, but partly also on the basis of how well their followers follow."
- In Praise of Followers, Robert E. Kelley

Who are you without your team? Often items we take for granted the notion that leaders require followers. Moreover, great leaders require great followers. What do great followers want out of a leader? Among other things, followers want a leader that understands what they are working on, why they are doing it and how it is all connected to their larger goals. Also, they want to be involved and connected to making a difference in the business. The challenge is, followers often do not know how to ask for things.

I'd like to introduce you to an article I read a few years ago - The Agenda - Grassroots Leadership, by Polly Labarre, Fast Company Magazine.

http://www.fastcompany.com/magazine/23/grassroots.html

How it can work for you:

1. Read the story about Navy Commander D. Michael Abrashoff.

2. Schedule 30-minute one-on-one meetings with all employees that roll up under your organization. If that is too many people, meet with a minimum of your direct reports along with their direct reports.

3. Ask the following questions:

• What do you like about your job?
• What do you like least about your job?
• What would change about your job?
• At the end of the year, what does success look like?

Note: Some people may be hesitant to discuss these questions. Try and create an environment where people can feel okay with being authentic without consequences.

4. Take what you have learned through all the one-on-one meetings and try to evaluate whether you can make some simple quick changes in your organization that will make a difference to your people.

5. Evaluate where there might be larger areas in your organization that need change. Connect with key stakeholders to voice ideas and concerns.

What it can do:

• Create a platform for open and honest communication.
• Identify potential problems with an individual employee and/or organization.
• Aid in organization alignment to meet the company Mission and Strategy.
• Provide steps to create a better environment to cultivate stability and employee retention.
• Identify opportunities for improvement in your organization with employees and/or work process.