What creates a high-powered working team? One word. Trust.
Trust is based on character and competence. Do you trust your teammates’ character? Do you trust their competence?
If you can answer yes to both questions, then teams have the foundation to accomplish amazing things.
So, what happens when you can only answer yes to one of these questions, or worse yet, you can’t answer yes to any?
What happens is a lack of results. This isn’t to say some results won’t be achieved, likely they will. But the results won’t be at the highest level or to the greatest potential of the team.
A lack of results uses vital resources that cost you money in time and energy. It breeds criticism, condemnation, and judgment. That energy breeds drama and social politics. The team cannot thrive in this environment.
So, what to do about it?
Leaders must be willing to give staff feedback through the lens of your company core values. Feedback is another name for coaching. As a leader, it’s your responsibility to coach your staff and provide both character and competence feedback on behavior and productivity performance. Many companies are good at giving productivity feedback because it is easier to measure and therefore conversations can be more transactional. But giving behavioral feedback is just as vital, if not more so.
Behavioral feedback can be done through a company’s core values. They are the behavioral standards that set expectations for how to be a productive engaged member of the team and contribute positively to the company culture. Not living up to these expectations on a repeated and negligent level needs to be addressed openly and honestly so the team members can make the choice to improve their behavior or move to another opportunity better suited for them.
Clarity is kindness. Feedback allows for growth and development. Coaching shows a genuine investment in someone’s career journey.
All of this goes back to the foundation of trust. As a leader do you behave in a way that fosters your staff to trust you? Are you living your company core values? Do you demonstrate character and competence in your own role? If not, it’s hard to expect team members to trust each other.
No matter how you look at it, top team performance has to have a foundation of trust.
Contact us today for a free consultation to learn more about how Assured Strategy can help you grow your business.
Phone: (702) 421-3212
Email: info@assuredstrategy.com
Assured Strategy is a Business Strategy Coaching Firm that focuses on Strategic Coaching, Executive Coaching, Performance Coaching, and Leadership Training throughout North America with the experience to help companies succeed and grow. Assured Strategy’s coaches educate and mentor CEOs and executive teams in people, strategy, execution, cash, leadership and team building, and the company has represented more than 250 businesses. Assured Strategy offers business strategy coaching, workshops, webinars, leadership groups, employee assessments, and business process improvement services to empower its clients to think strategically and effectively execute their business objectives. For more information, browse our website or call (702) 421-3212.