The workplace is competitive. Most hope for advancement; however, moving up in companies requires more than a firm handshake. Becoming a better team leader at work is what creates advancement opportunities. Two principles should be followed:
- be thoughtful of other employees
- gain the admiration and respect of other employees
Being genuinely thoughtful of employees will eventually gain their respect. Yes. It’s good to know your company’s history, to be loyal to your company, and perform well for your company–and that’s fine, if you have no advancement aspirations. However, a team leader needs the respect of his co-workers; otherwise, he or she has no one to lead.
Team leaders should know what causes employee unrest and how to neutralize it
Team leaders ultimately become supervisors and managers who are responsible for ensuring proper job function for many people. To do so, they must keep employee unrest either at a minimum, or non-existent. Principal causes of employee unrest are listed below in order of importance:
- Failure to give credit for suggestions
- Failure to correct grievances
- Failure to encourage
- Criticizing employees in front of others
- Failure to ask employees their opinions
- Failure to inform employees of their progress
- Showing favoritism
Here are 10 Tips for becoming a better team leader at work
The first step to becoming a good or better team leader at work is to recognize the importance of your people. This means knowing “how” to point out errors and “correct” those working with you, when you have to. You can become a better team leader if you:
- Become genuinely concerned for your people
- Ask for employee suggestions
- Listen to their grievances
- Demonstrate loyalty by standing up for employees when they need you to
- Always correct employees in private
- Let employees know their opinions matter
- Reward employees for their progress
- Never play favorites
- Avoid being over-bearing and throwing your weight around
- Don’t mind doing the job you ask others to do
Major companies periodically host seminars and workshops that benefit employee relations, all of which seek to find the “special” formula. However, companies and team leaders that demonstrate genuine value for employees create the atmosphere for solving 99% of work related problems.
Reference: “How You Can Have Confidence and Power in Dealing with People” by Les Giblin
