“I want to help my team grow.” That’s how my friend started our coffee conversation last week. Over the last 15 years, I have tested many tactics to bring out the best in my people, and after reflecting on how my friend poised his comment, I jotted down my top six tips that help leaders develop their staff while promoting teambuilding.
6 Tips to Develop Staff
- Do 1:1 meetings with your staff. While it seems simple to let them happen organically, make sure they are scheduled and that both parties commit to making them happen. If 1:1s only occur as needed, they tend to be opportunistic rather than oriented toward long-term progress. Make sure they get time with you to ask questions, get guidance, and build relationships. It also gives you time to understand them in their role, their career goals, and who you can delegate to. During 1:1 meetings, make sure you make some time for conversation that builds rapport. Discuss goals, then ask them what tools are missing from their toolbox. 1:1s can be 10 to 15 minutes long if that’s all you can give, but make sure you make time for them and that you set the agenda. Employees tend to get less value out of these meetings if they are not goal-oriented sessions. Additionally, if you are having 1:1 time regularly and predictably, you are less likely to need to have tough conversations during annual performance evaluation times.
- Promote or assign goals. Make sure these goals are realistic but challenging and that the employee can be the primary driver of these goals. Give them a timeline. Ask how you can participate in their success. Try goals that help them grow specifically in their role, but also as a person. Having goals will help your staff be successful both inside and outside of the office—and prevent stagnation while promoting individual satisfaction. For example, I was collaborating with a client this week, and he likes to ask his direct reports to share a professional and personal goal with him, so he can support them in getting there. One of his staff wanted to become proficient in the new reporting system but also be able to do splits by the end of the year (yes, splits). He helped her schedule time with a teammate to practice reporting functions but also supported her setting aside time to stretch in between working sessions.
- Find motivation. What can you use to unite your team and start building some social capital in the team, but also help individuals find purpose? Perhaps it is the corporate purpose that binds all of you, or perhaps it is a department goal you all strive for. Find ways to help your team thrive at work by promoting engagement in that purpose and each other. Encourage socialization and networking in the correct areas of your business. When your team gets to build relationships with one another, they take more delight in being at work, and it promotes feelings of happiness and belonging. Those feelings perpetuate motivation in the business—whether it’s virtual or in person!
- Start off on the right foot. I use a tool called the Talent Triangle for personal and professional development and team development. It helps me make intelligent hiring decisions based on the success criteria for the role and for the team. My theory is skills can be taught, experience can be earned, but character is innate. When I have a role to fill, I study the job responsibilities and determine how much flex I can tolerate in each area of the Talent Triangle (skills, experience, and character). It helps set expectations for performance right out of the gate and limit surprises. Once a team member is on my team, I will continue to use the Talent Triangle to help an individual grow into a well-rounded professional, strengthening the entire team.
- Get objective data. I use another tool called the Skills Matrix to help me have obvious and honest conversations about an individual’s growth in their role. This tool is a grid with columns numbered 1 (fails to meet expectations) through 5 (exceeds all expectations) and rows with skills, expectations, and responsibilities pulled from the job description. I use it for each role and everyone. This means I can turn actual performance data into a single line item that can be measured and ranked objectively. I often have the employee do a self-evaluation periodically and compare it to my scores. Then we talk how we each arrived at that score and make plans to increase the score if needed. Then we use our 1:1 meetings to continue pursuing growth in this area. When we must overcome painful obstacles, remember to focus on the positives within each situation. For example, if we are discussing improvement in customer service, have an example we know we could grow from, remember to point out several aspects that went in the right direction, then expand on how we could elevate that direction.
- Pass out recognition like it’s candy. There is no task too small for a pat on the back. Make sure your team hears you tell individuals (and teams), “GOOD JOB!” That’s right, recognize your staff in front of their peers—all the time. Doing this builds social capital among the team, provides individual rewards, and motivates others to do their best, as well. Show your staff gratitude! Tell them, “Thank you for being here. Thanks for doing your best.” And share how you value their expertise. Do this individually to portray sincerity. And lastly, recognize the stuff that is less awesome, too. It’s important that our staff know we see the whole picture and everything we are as a team—and that mistakes are part of our growth strategy.
