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The Art of Leading a Great Team

Posted by Tory Hotaling | Tue, Oct 27, 2015 @ 11:49 AM

check guarantee leaderThe art of leading a great team starts with the leader of the team! Being the leader of a  small or large group requires the leader to possess a specific mindset and recognize key factors to ensure success and productivity. There is a big misconception of what leadership is. The old school belief is that it’s an advance in rank, placing you at the top of the food chain, making you the authoritative figure on all things team. Truth be told, besides a needed shift in this old school thinking, a great leader is the person out front leading the way. More poignantly, a leader’s main objective should be to create more leaders!

Many leaders feel that once they reach the summit their climb is over and it’s time to bark out orders, while dictating policy and procedure. On the contrary, once you reach the summit you should hike back down and assist those who are struggling so they too may reach their goal. 

Here are some key areas to focus on to be an effective leader and to help build productive teams. 

Recognize and Nurture Talent

A good leader has no trouble working with a team to accomplish collective goals. He recognizes this is not a solo climb, but a team effort. Surround yourself with people who are smarter than you are. Give your talented people the freedom to make decisions and mistakes. You know what they excel at if you are paying attention, so give them direction and then let them do their thing. 

Be Complimentary and Use Public Recognition

Thank you stock photo

During the course of the month, or quarter, we all have people who standout and those who may not. It is very important to make sure proper recognition is given to those individuals who have performed well. Recognition can be in a group town hall meeting, honoring them as employee of the month, in an internal newsletter, or just saying thank you and giving them a hand shake. Either way, they will know they helped contribute to the team’s success. Good leaders are not afraid to give out compliments and never make an employee feel small. Unfortunately, most managers are quick to point out mistakes and they forget to acknowledge the hard work employees put forth. Doing so can make an employee feel worthless and uninspired. Happy employees are always productive! 

Be a Team Player and Get to Know your Team

No matter how much talent one team has, success will elude them without teamwork. It starts with the leader setting the example. He must be consistent, fair, organized and have strong moral integrity. If your people trust you and they know you have their best interest at heart they will perform above expectations. They also must know that every decision you make is for the good of the team, or the company as a whole, and never for one or two people. Do so consistently and your employees will trust you. If everyone is rowing in the same direction the Shell will move its fastest. 

Getting to know your team can be a tricky thing. Teams spend countless hours together, usually more than with their own families. It is a balancing act for a leader to get to know his people on a personal level and also be the person who has to make the tough decisions. Most leaders have no trouble balancing this, but the employees can sometimes struggle with this concept. Make it a point to get to know your people and have fun with them at work, but limit social contact with them so you may hold them accountable for their work product with minimal friction. Some employees are ok with having a work/social relationship and they understand the leader’s position, but the majority of employees are not. 

Constant Coaching and Training

frustrated managerHaving been in the collections business for 25 years, leading teams for 22 of those years, learnings happen each and every day. It could be from a long time employee or someone new. Along the way we all accumulate mentors and our goal should be to pass valuable knowledge onto our teams. Remember, great leaders create more leaders!

It is important to perpetually conduct best practice training sessions with your team. These trainings are modified based on the audience you are speaking to. Have specific meeting times and days set up on a weekly basis for these trainings. Because of the constant flux in collections, learning never stops and it is probably the same for your business. Consider group trainings and one on one trainings to meet the needs of all of your employees. Just make sure you have a plan in place and you are prepared. We all know “plan your work and work your plan” because it works.

Team Building and Contests

Team building exercises are an effective way to build comradery and have fun. They can also be an effective way to relieve stress. These can be a range of activities depending on your risk management policies and the players on your team. One activity we do every year during the holiday season is a White Elephant gift exchange. We get together for an extended potluck lunch and then conduct the gift exchange. It brings a lot of laughs and everyone looks forward to it each year. We also celebrate our employees by taking them and their families to an amusement park to say thank you for all your hard work. This is also a very popular activity. 

Employees who work in production based environments are typically very competitive people. A great way to inspire good-natured competition is to have different contests. They can be based on individual performances or they can be team competitions. Competitions create a lot of excitement during the month. Although everyone is working hard for their paycheck and bonus, it’s also nice to attach a monetary reward to your contests. The prize doesn’t have to be much, as even a small extra cash bonus at the end of the month inspires hearty competition.  

These are just a few things that separate a good leader from a manager. If you want a productive team that cares about winning then lead by example. Remember, we are constantly learning, so be open to new ideas and you will be amazed by what your team will accomplish. You win as a team and you lose as a team. No one individual is ever responsible by themselves. 

Tory Hotaling, Vice President of Consumer Relations

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Written by Tory Hotaling