Four Simple Ways Leaders Can Support Their Teams

David Diaz, Senior Executive, Davenport Laroche

While every person in a workplace has unique skills and talents to offer that firm, they all work better when they're motivated and inspired by a great leader. With the right support, a leader can transform a collection of dispersed workers into a cohesive unit, ready to tackle any problem that might come their way. While there are many things that managers and team leaders have to do to make sure that their company runs smoothly, finding the best way to support their teams is one of the most important. Here are just some of the ways that high-level employees can empower and encourage their staff.

1.     Review Work Frequently 

A great leader shouldn't just be someone who appears when there's a crisis to manage or praise. Leaders need to immerse themselves in the work that their team members do everyday, checking on their performance and making sure that they have the tools they need to thrive. 

Leaving a team to work alone might give them more freedom, and prevent managers from micro-managing, but it can also mean that it's harder to keep everyone on the same page. One-on-one reviews and meetings can be a great way to maintain a good workflow.

2.     Set Standards 

A team without any pre-set standards or expectations is difficult to understand. For the leader, it means that the people within their staff will end up producing highly variable results. On the other hand, for the team members, a lack of standards means that there's no direction telling each individual how to improve their performance.

As Ken Kurson recently noted, “Leaders can support their followers by setting standards for the work they do. If everyone knows what's expected from them from day one, misunderstandings are less likely to occur. The onboarding process can be a good way to introduce expectations.”

3.     Be Available 

Many leaders have a huge number of concerns to deal with every day. This means that they're so busy, it's practically impossible to connect with them. While this is part of the nature of a high-end position, it's important to remember that staff members need a chance to talk about their concerns, air issues, and discuss opportunities for the future. 

If a leader can't have an open-door policy, then it might be useful to set pre-set times when they'll be available to talk to their employees and stick to them. This means managers deal with issues in a structured and timely fashion.

4.     Develop Employee Skills 

Finally, most leaders already know that a team that isn't learning is simply stagnating. Employees without an opportunity to improve and enhance their skills can rarely perform at their best. It's up to managers to provide their talent with new opportunities to learn and grow through on-the-job coaching, training, and mentoring. 

Start by targeting the areas where team members show the least confidence, and work from there. The more each employee continues to develop their skills, the more loyal they'll feel to the business. What's more, the company benefits from a more effective staff member.