As a business coach one of the major challenges I
have encountered for a great many business owners is they have a team that is
operating way below their true potential. For some owners the problem is they
don’t even know their team is under performing, they think their team are
achieving a great deal until I help them open their eyes to realise that they
are not achieving anywhere near as much as they could or indeed growing as fast
as they could be.
There are a number of indicators to look out for
when determining if you have an underperforming team and today I would like to
point your attention to just three of them.
1. The need for you to be a
firefighter
This one can be hard to spot because for most it is
considered ‘The Norm’ to be the glue holding the team together, spotting
mistakes and swooping in to fix them, in actual fact, it may appear appropriate
for you to go to work in a Super Heroes outfit. The strange thing is that some
owners enjoy this because it gives them a sense of purpose and it can also be
good for the ego. The big question is “If you have to be there to fix all the
problems what are you paying your team to do?” and also “What are you educating
them to do?”
I am not suggesting that your business should be
problem free everyone makes mistakes from time to time and even the best of
businesses I have coached have always had fires to fight but they have been the
exception and not the rule.
If you find yourself having to solve problems on a
day to day basis you need to take a good at how your team is structured, how
clear are THEY on their roles and responsibilities? How clear are YOU on their
roles and responsibilities?
A good exercise here is for you to jot down what you
think a team members top 5-7 roles/responsibilities/tasks are and ask them to
do the same then compare notes. You may be surprised at the difference in
understanding.
2. The need for micromanagement
Does leaving your business for a period of time fill
you with dread and lead to sleepless nights? Do you find yourself having to
create task lists for your team so that things get done? If you’re in this position then you are
micromanaging and the longer that is allowed to carry on you stand the risk of
tearing yourself apart due to stress or you will severely limit the growth of
your business.
If you have a lack of trust in your team to deliver
the results you expect of them there is definitely a management issue.
A lack of trust in any business will always lead to
a lack of commitment which in turn will eventually impact the results the
business achieves.
3. It’s easier to dodge communicating
with the team than facing the issues.
Clear communication is the heartbeat of every
business. It has been suggested that in a great deal of businesses the team are
treated like mushrooms, kept in the dark and fed with #7+*. This is the
opposite of open book management. The team have no idea about the purpose of
the business, the state of the business and giving an opinion is frowned upon.
A lack of understanding between yourselves and your
team often leads to communication that can be abrasive and difficult which may
result in the owner thinking “What’s the point in ever bringing up the issues?”
I might as well just do it myself” If you ever find yourself in that position
then you can be sure you have a communication problem within your team. It may
be time to take a look in the mirror because your team are a direct reflection
of you!
What is it you need to change about your leadership
and management style to get the results you yearn for?
For the situation to change first YOU must change.
To borrow a famous quote “Be the change you want to see”
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