Ever been given a hospital pass – a project that was spiralling towards hell and you walk in as the superhero who has been assigned to salvage it and turn it around?
If that isn’t scary enough, then picture your first meeting with the team of such a project:
- team members are frustrated – ready to kill the first person who looks vulnerable enough …
- stakeholders are frustrated – ready to kill the first person who looks vulnerable enough!!
With the multitude of hospital passes I have had over the years, here are the most important lessons that I have learnt – lessons applicable not just to project teams; these lessons can be applied by all type of leaders
- Hire for aptitude and attitude. Skills can be learnt but aptitude and attitude are traits that are priceless.
- Titles are not an indication of a person’s capability – observe your team members to understand their real capability and passion – change their job role to something more suited to this capability and passion. Working in line with your capability and passion improves productivity – when you love what you are doing and are good at it – you will go that extra mile on your own!
- Even though organisations still follow the 9 to 5 pattern, in reality, we live a 24 hour life cycle. We cannot stop start from parent / family to employee etc. Give your team flexibility. Do not rate them on the hours spent at work – rate them on outcome. Let them work their own patterns.
- It is team work – ensure your team members understand that and treat other team members with the same consideration as you do. Guide your team members to ensure their work patterns are not disruptive to the team. For example flexible work hours will fail if people are not available when other team members require them.
- Ensure you hold your team members accountable for their outcomes. Make them the boss of their allocated work. That means get them to create a plan to completion and list of required resources. Then hold them to that plan, the way your stakeholders hold you to your commitments.
- You as a leader are there to set the direction that will lead to the final goal. Do not take on the role of a spoon-feeder. Allow your team members to design their own steps that will lead to the goal. Your job is to ensure that these steps are integrated so the team moves forward as one. Your job is to ensure your team stays on the path, and that the direction you set is always the most efficient path to the goal. Your job is to continually review the path, the direction, and the team output and tweak so the path to the goal continues to be the most efficient!
- Acknowledge your team. Don’t wait for the 6 monthly performance reviews to show your appreciation. Call out the good work as it happens – Just as you will take corrective action as soon as you spot an issue
A harmonised team is the ultimate dream team. Using above steps, you can bring harmony very simply during normal working hours – you don’t need to hold expensive team bonding activities outside of work.