Keys to Effectively Lead a Team

Keys to Effectively Lead a Team

Throughout the past few decades, management's traditional role was to simply regulate and delegate various tasks to their prospective employees. Business processes were simpler in that a company only focused on a product produced or service rendered. During that time, companies such as Volvo and General Foods revolutionized the use of running a business through grouping employees into teams rather than having each work completed individually. This concept was somewhat unheard of during that era. Today, more than eighty percent of Fortune 500 companies either have half or more of their employees on a work team. The reason for the rise of companies using teams is that it clearly outperforms individuals when the task at hand requires multiple skills, judgments, or experiences (Robbins & Judge, 2007). Running a team can be challenging and difficult for management because the need to envision, plan, and have good leadership is needed more than ever. The following are ways to effectively lead a team to the company's success.

Manager's Responsibility

It is important for a manager to be confident and know what the company's objectives are. A manager would also have to be the model employee to not only their peers but even to their own employees in which they are overseeing. There should always be a level of consistent respect and trust by employees through not making every little issue to be a problem. Most importantly, the nucleus of a team solely starts off with the manager. It is not always easy accommodating to various personalities, responsibilities, and various changes that can occur at anytime, so the need for a manager to learn about themselves and others through the facilitation of an executive coach can be very rewarding for the success of their team and for the company's profitability.

Team Member's Motivation

With the various skills and roles that each team member may possess, the importance of getting to know their team is vital to a manager's core responsibilities. What this means is determining what type of motivation each employee has for themselves. One employee may state that salary might be their driving force while another employee may value a flexible schedule. Meanwhile, another employee may value the challenge of their job functions. Once the needs of each employee are determined and met toward to their specifications, it then would be molded into a shared purpose. An effective leader would incorporate the mission of the company to the specific needs of each individual so the common purpose can be reached and a solid comradely is formed.

Positive Atmosphere

In a team environment, healthy competition is good to maintain the momentum and drive to keep employees guided to the objective of a particular task. It has to be geared collectively in collaboration as opposed to fierce competition. One of the major issues involved in traditional management models is in a hierarchy setting; management dwells on the problems that can threaten the entire moral of the organization. Rather than dwelling on the issues, if the environment displays the opportunity for employees to freely offer constructive criticism or suggestions to management, the fear of retribution does not become a problem and the organization grows stronger through the feedback