To be an effective CEO or key executive, you'll need help and lots of it! So the question here is how do we whip our staff into a frenzy (as opposed to just whipping them)?
To follow are the simple, yet not too simple, top ten tactics:
- Communication: find ways to get your team to come to you when there's an issue, not to complain behind your back. Approachability and trust rule here.
- Create problem solvers: encourage your team to bring any problem to you, but to always bring a solution at the same time. Ask for recommendations.
- Reward fairly: based on performance, not time in the job. Reward merit, not mediocrity. As examples, showing up on time deserves no praise. Up-selling a customer without expectation deserves recognition, thanks and perhaps more.
- Develop champions: who can grow into their roles to champion and activate new ideas and techniques. Who are the champions on your team?
- Trust: regardless of how you've been burnt in the past, trust your team first.
- Reward creatively: consider education and recognition rewards, family based rewards (such as dinner vouchers) and tiny rewards (such as their favorite chocolate bar) instead of just standard pay rises or bonuses. Everyone craves recognition.
- Involve your team: get their opinions, seek their feedback, hunt out criticism before it infects your organization. You've got to be open to criticism if you ever expect to criticize constructively or to get better yourself.
- Show the path: foster career drive by showing your team the career paths open to them within your organization.
- Listen: instead of always talking. You hired them for their brains!
- Lead by example: live in a manner consistent with what you say. It's managing, not parenting, so "do as I say, not as I do" ain't gonna cut it (it doesn't cut it with kids either).
Be a team leader. Set the best example as the boss or, if in a support role, for your boss!
Author Credits
Kirsty Dunphey, founder of www.reallysold.com - the ultimate tool to help real estate agents write amazing advertisements, is the youngest ever winner of the Australian Telstra Young Business Woman of the Year award. Kirsty started her first business at 15, her own real estate agency at 21, was a self-made millionaire at 23 and a self-made multi-millionaire at 25. For more information on Kirsty or either of her books – 'Advance to Go, Collect $1 Million' and 'Retired at 27, If I can do it anyone can', or to sign up to her weekly newsletter head to:
www.kirstydunphey.com