Excellence

Discuss the department’s goals with your manager and clearly explain the goals to your team. Alignment of goals is important to your team’s overall success. It’s helpful when your team members understand how their work contributes to the success of the team, department, and company.

Set high expectations for work commitment and performance. Define what it takes to move your team to the next performance level. Tell team members exactly what they can do on a daily basis.

Don’t forget about yourself. What can you do to be a more effective leader? What are your strengths as a leader? What will you learn over the next 6 -12 months?

Look for coaching opportunities or consider scheduling a check-in with your team. During these interactions, take time to discuss upcoming work or long-term goals. Ask questions to understand the employee’s perspective and help develop their decision-making skills.

Provide feedback by describing something the employee has done well and should continue or something the employee needs to improve using specific examples of the desired behavior.

The demand to improve work processes increases as expectations change, new technology emerges, and competition grows. Develop an environment where work processes are valued; but where appropriate change is encouraged and embraced. Avoid making changes hastily. Methodically investigate processes that will improve the business and make it run more efficiently.

Don’t take work commitment and job performance for granted. Encourage your team to regularly evaluate its commitment to the job and how well they perform. If team members determine they are lacking in any of these qualities, they should focus their efforts on addressing the deficiencies.