Essential Traits of Effective, Productive Leaders
In the past few weeks there were few colleagues from another division leaving the company. Some of them even been with the company for quiet some years. Many of them leaving because of leadership issue that has been happening within their division. From long working hours, being thrown under the bus, harsh words, until being threatened of losing the job for not answering a call on the weekend. Then I started to wonder what it takes to be a productive leader. What is the right thing to do as a leader? What kind of attitudes or behavior to be a productive team?
I spoke with a few leaders from various leadership roles, from a C-level of a tech company, field supervisor, teacher, church leader. All of them agree on one thing, which is a leader’s positive behavior will strengthen the team thus will improve the team productivity. From teaching them a new skill to encouraging a personality-driven improvement, Leader’s support to the team is crucial.
The behavior of team members is essential to the team productivity. If a team have developed habits that are toxication, then we should try to change the way in which they behave. However, many leaders don’t know where to start when it comes to encouraging positive behavior change in their teams. Here are our tips for encouraging positive behavior change in the team:
Lead By Example
In most environment, a team will follow the example set by it’s leader. Though leader may not realize it, you may have developed unhealthy habits that are impacting your team’s performance. These might include taking your work home with you or not taking adequate breaks during the day. Because team members tend to mimic the behavior of their leaders, it is likely they are also developing these bad habits.
As a team leader, it is your responsibility to set a positive example for your team. A leader should adopt the positive behaviors they expect to see from their team. As a leader, you can encourage positive behavior in your team by influencing and inspiring them in a constructive way.
Communicate Effectively
As well as setting an example, you should also talk to your team members about the type of behavior to expect in the team. But this doesn’t have to be a boring lecture. You can have one-to-one session with your team member over a coffee or gather your team round for lunch and have an open discussion.
By communicating effectively with your team, you can find out what they are struggling with and how you can help your employees with positive behavior change. It is a good practice that you have these expectations for behavior documented in the playbook.
Reward and Recognition
When you observe a positive behavior change in a team, be sure to recognize it and reward it. When your team see that they may be rewarded for positive behavior change, they will be motivated to achieve their goals. Rewarding positive behavior will strengthen the message you have been communicating to your team. It’s worth remembering that even the smallest of positive behavior deserve recognition.
If you can see that your team haven’t quite reached their goals, but they are working extremely hard to do so, acknowledge their determination. If you recognize the small achievements, the big achievements will surely follow.
Create Collective Goals
Encouraging positive behavior change in a team is achievable if you work together as a team. Once you have communicated openly about the behavior expectancy from your team, then following with a group brainstorming session. This way you can set realistic goals as a team. If your team are working towards similar goals, they can support each other and will likely achieve their goals sooner.
Remember to check in on your team progress. Perhaps have regular team meetings or training sessions to see how they are doing. Your team will appreciate the support and help they receive from you.
Attract The Right People
We all believe that people’s values and personalities drive their behavior in the team. When recruiting for a team member, you should look for candidates with values that mirror those of your team has.
Of course, attracting the very best of the best isn’t always easy. But if you demonstrate that you care about the wellbeing of your team, you have a bigger chance of attracting the brightest sparks.
Hopefully these tips could encourage positive behavior in your team and improve their productivity. Have a Productive Positive Proactive day!
