Becoming a team leader can be both intimidating and exciting. There is no personal experience to build on. If you’re new in this position, you’re either looking forward to the challenge or considering quitting. Nowadays, more teams are working remotely or using a hybrid model of in-office and at-home work. So, today’s new leaders have a lot to cover and face many obstacles.
The first couple of months are crucial in achieving success as a team leader. You should help your team learn how to stop bad habits and instead help them produce optimal results. Most organizations hold team leaders accountable for their team’s success and their ability to positively influence the company’s work environment.
You can implement many tips and tricks to help you improve your performance as a newly established team leader. Showcase your ability to lead and motivate teammates to achieve a common goal by learning about the best practices of effective team leaders. This article discusses five practical tips and outlines the most important skills a newly appointed team leader should possess.
Implement quality training
The business world is constantly changing and evolving. Team leaders who pursue leadership development and provide opportunities for team members to grow and develop their skills should encourage a learning environment. You can accomplish this once you create a training program for employees, enable quality mentoring, promote a safe working environment, and encourage your employees to try out new ideas.
Implementing a quality training program will provide your employees with essential learning knowledge and skills to complete their job duties. Also, it can improve your employee’s performance, hold them responsible for their actions, and help you create company goals for each employee.
Quality leaders can also become active participants in the learning journey of their teams by providing helpful guidance and receiving constructive feedback. New leaders will create a more energetic and productive team in the long run by investing in the team’s competency and knowledge.
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Set SMART team objectives
Every successful team has specific goals that they intend to achieve. SMART is an acronym that refers to specific, measurable, achievable, relevant, and time-based goals. Describe in detail the goal you want your teammates to achieve. The goal of improving customer retention by 25%, for example, is more specific than improving the retention rate. Furthermore, always keep track of your employee’s progress and their possibility of accomplishing the goals you established.
A measurable goal is simple to break down into smaller milestones. Take into consideration the resources and time your team has to achieve the goals you set together. Make sure the goals are relevant to the team’s short and long-term plans. Check that they are also in line with the company’s objectives. To ensure productivity, set time limits for your team to reach the goal you’ve set.
Get to know your team
Leadership is all about influencing your team to achieve its goals and helping them to share their problems. Always strive to have an open conversation with your employees. In fact, statistics show that 78% of business leaders constantly try to engage and communicate with their employees. So, organize fun activities in between breaks and talk to your team members. This way, they will feel more comfortable discussing their issues, sharing ideas, and finding creative ways to implement all of them.
Getting to know your team is a fun and revealing process that you will thoroughly enjoy. Only then can you develop a leadership strategy that has a chance of succeeding. So, check in with your team, particularly those who may be struggling. New team leaders should spend 10-15 minutes for check-in conversations once or twice a week. You can even organize an all-employee meeting where you can all talk together or pick one day of the week and set up an individual employee meeting.
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Celebrate your team’s accomplishments
When your team receives an award or reaches a milestone, you should celebrate and reward their efforts. This shows that you value their commitment. For example, if certain team members exceed their quarterly sales target, you can thank them by writing and sending a gift card. This will increase their positivity in the office as well as motivate other team members to improve their performance.
Improve communication
A strong leader communicates team goals and feedback. Being an effective communicator entails actively listening, understanding body language, and becoming more aware of your tone. You should also work on your written communication skills in order to ensure information clarity when instructing team members on their tasks. Improve your communication skills by asking for constructive criticism from your employees and try to improve according to the feedback you receive.
Final thoughts
Team leadership is frequently difficult but very rewarding. With a quality training program and effective communication, you can create an amazing work environment that promotes personal growth for its employees. You and your employees will most certainly enjoy such an environment because it is something that you all helped create.