Leaders and managers, how well do you know your team members? I mean really know them! Not how they like their coffee, but what makes them tick, what they are passionate about, what motivates and energises them, and what they need to operate at their best. If you don’t know then you are missing a trick, and there is a good chance your people are not maximising their performance potential. When employees are empowered to bring their best to work, great performance can happen. So here are 3 steps you can take to facilitate this?
- Invest time to really get know your team members
We’re not talking routine catch ups where you discuss progress towards goals or issues that may have cropped up. We’re talking quality time that you invest to learn about each team member, allowing you to build a holistic view of them as a person. Ask what aspects of their job they really enjoy, the bits they loathe and where they would like to be spending more time. Explore their passions, their goals for the future and where they may need support and guidance. Learn what motivates them and how they like to be recognised. Getting to know team members on a more personal level will not only enable more effective management, but will build trust and ensure team members feel valued as individuals.
- Discover your team talent potential
Unlocking team potential begins with discovering what makes each of your team members uniquely talented. Gallup research shows that people who have the opportunity to use their strengths daily at work are six times more engaged, nearly 8% more productive and three times as happy as people who don’t get to use their strengths. Do you know what makes your team members uniquely talented? If not begin by discovering their top 5 themes of talent using a tool such as StrengthsFinderâ. Taken by more than 14 million people globally, StrengthsFinderâ measures the presence of talent across 34 general areas or themes of talent. It delivers a series of reports that provide insights, guidance and action items to further develop a person’s most dominant talents.
- Develop & engage team strengths purposefully
Help your team members to appreciate and grow their talents to strengths by seeking opportunities for them focus on delivering projects or tasks that play to their strengths. Aligning team member strengths with team priorities will drive greater engagement, and more successful outcomes. If people are focusing on what they do best, the chances are they will be happier, find their job more rewarding and contribute in areas where they can add the most value.
Growing Talent delivers coaching, learning and team building solutions. We help individuals, teams and organisations to maximise their potential and achieve performance excellence. Get in touch to discuss how we can help to unlock your team potential.
