Top 7 Strategies to Lead Effectively this Year
- hjavalera
- Mar 4, 2023
- 3 min read
Updated: Mar 17, 2023
Leading teams has become an even more challenging task, especially with such diverse generational mix, new technologies and upcoming business models. How do we effectively manage large and small teams? How do we lead taking into account all of the different motivators and drivers of people without sacrificing efficiency and without compromising the sense of equality and justice among all players?
I'm convinced these approaches will help you in addressing such challenges:
Provide opportunities for exposure and contribution. Let everyone have the opportunity to present to the leadership team and to their peers what they are working on. In parallel, this gives the leadership team an opportunity to recognize the teams efforts and achievements. This is one of the most powerful engagement tools out there and the cost is practically zero.
Periodic, informal/formal and regular feedback. I encourage my teams to provide prompt feedback at least once a quarter. Without a lot of paperwork or administrative load, but a formal feedback with a short time slot defined and a simple agenda.
Honest and Lively Succession Planning. Make sure you have a periodic review of your team's succession pipeline (once a year at least) and that you take conscious steps towards filling it up. It should be an authentic tool for people development and jobs back-filling.
Constant Compensation and benefits review. The "secret" for success relies on the capability of the leader and the company to come up with an integral job offer to the employee that is inclusive, economically reasonable, practical to execute/maintain and legitimately attractive. Also, that the compensation system is transparent and everybody understands it. Money is absolutely not the ultimate answer. Just make sure your offer is such that your employees are focused on the goals and not on their paycheck.
"(...your offer is such that your employees are focused on the goals and not on their paycheck."
5. Make sure everybody has a meaningful job (and that everybody understands why it is meaningful). This is, even if your employee writes reports or push a button all day, make sure that he/she understands why it is important and that it is part of a greater purpose.
"...even if your employee writes reports or push a button all day, make sure that he/she understands why it is important and that it is part of a greater purpose. "
6. Review constantly organizational structures. Reduce complexity and "verticality". Make your organization is more horizontal with the purpose to make your team more agile, autonomous and lean.
7. Regularly and periodically, dedicate a reasonable time for revisiting your team's vision and your long term strategic planning. The daily operation/commitments will naturally absorb you and your team. Therefore, it is vital to allocate dedicated time for strategy review and planning. Do it away from where the daily action is taking place (office, headquarter, factory, store, etc.) and make sure that you and your team are 100% focused on it (no emails, phone calls, interruptions, stepping out). Do it on a regular basis, as often as it makes sense to avoid redundancy, repetition or lack of new and relevant content. And as often to ensure timely follow up.
Executing these simple points should contribute to a better engagement and satisfaction level within your team. Take a close look and realize that most points will not cost a dime and if they do, payback will come in multiples. What else are you doing?
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