Leadership, for better or for worse, directly affects the level of engagement and commitment an employee feels towards their company. In fact, 75% of employees quit the job because of the relationship with their manager. No pressure, right!
Perhaps you got promoted to a management position as a brand-new supervisor, or never been properly trained to be the boss? Wondering what skills would help you deal with multiple people and differing personalities as the go-to mentor, coach, and sounding board to achieve efficiency, productivity, and keep up team spirit? If you answered yes, the good news is that you are not alone. Even though this situation could be a daunting challenge, it is totally natural to feel challenged.
As a developer of company training programs for many clients over the years, today, I refer specifically to a management development training series. This series entails sessions spread out over a few months to give participants direct coaching feedback from implementing the tools learned in earlier sessions. An example would be elaborating on the foundational key to successful leadership by making the time to develop a relationship with each team member. Many companies use personality tests to help us understand ourselves, our coworkers, and our team members in the hopes we can work cohesively together, yet, most have a theory that we fall into just one of the following four distinct personality styles.
· DIRECTOR / REBEL / BAD ASS: Goal oriented, take charge. Do what they want in their own way, if you tell them to do something, they are less likely to do it.
· QUESTIONER / NERD / THINKER: Analytical and do what they think is best based on facts. If it doesn’t make sense, then they are less likely to do it.
· EXPRESSIVE / UPHOLDER / SOCIAL BUTTERFLY: The inspirational, the people person, wants to please and be recognized.
· AMIABLE / OBLIGER / SUPPORTER: The accommodator, cautious yet easily follow requests from others and get things done when they are held accountable by another person.
This is a good clue, yet not an absolute science, we are all unique with differing perspectives and motivators. As a manager, it is good to start understanding these personality styles, however, there are more effective ways to drive performance and results. The goal is to develop an individual relationship with each team member, understand what motivates them, how you can reward and recognize the achievement of business results. By investing time with regular 1-on-1 meetings each team member will feel cared for, valued and in return they will give you their best!
It is a fact that 75% of a manager’s success is based on their team’s achievements, which means developing a 1 on 1 relationship is likely to result in increased retention, productivity and business results by incorporating these powerful techniques, helping you be that sought after cutting-edge leader. Are you ready to take on the challenge?