There are several ways to increase team performance. One of them is to communicate expectations and help your team meet them. Another is regularly reviewing progress and building trust between you and your team members. If you can do these things, you will see a drastic difference in performance.
Communicating clear expectations
An effective strategy for inspiring your team and ensuring they provide their best work. For effective team communication and morale, clear expectations are also essential.
Make sure your team is aware of your expectations by communicating them frequently. This way, there are no misunderstandings or questions about them later. You can do this by sending emails or one-pagers to your employees. Additionally, it’s a good idea to link expectations to particular team positions. This will ensure that everyone understands what is expected of them and why.
It’s essential to set clear expectations for employees to feel successful. Keeping expectations clear helps employees feel they are part of something bigger than themselves. Clear expectations will also help them feel like their contribution to the company matters. It also prevents confusion and makes everyone’s job easier.
Helping your team meet them
One of the best ways in improving team performance is to help them meet their goals. A common goal can make the team feel more connected and empowered, making achieving your objectives much more accessible. First, however, you must ensure that your goals are specific, measurable, achievable, and relevant to your business’s goals.
One of the first ways to help your team meet their goals is to make them aware of their specific roles and responsibilities to allow you to see how each team member performs and what needs to be done to reach the goal. Often, this means identifying opportunities for advancement and joining projects that benefit their skills and will help them demonstrate their abilities and progress to the next level.
The second way to improve team performance is to establish specific team goals. Set team goals that are both individual and group-wide. A common goal will help each team member stay focused and work collaboratively. Often, when team members aren’t working toward a common goal, their focus will shift, and they won’t be able to get back on track.
Reviewing progress regularly
Regarding team performance, regularly reviewing progress can help ensure everyone is on track to reach their full potential. In addition, it’s a great way to reinforce performance expectations and foster ongoing development. However, it’s important to remember that performance reviews only have a tangible impact after they’ve been conducted because research on behavioral change shows that it’s vital to set goals, provide ongoing feedback, and follow up regularly.
The first step to ensuring you’re getting the best team performance is setting up regular one-on-one meetings with employees. Schedule this time when team members don’t have other things on their plates. You can do this early in the morning, if possible. And make sure you keep it a priority. Before you meet with your team members, review the notes from the last meeting. Take note of the main themes, issues, and follow-ups.
Another essential step in the process is asking the team member to evaluate their performance to give you a clearer picture of the team member’s skills. While it won’t take any of your work off your plate, it will allow you to hear the employee’s perspective. The manager can then provide feedback based on the employee’s self-evaluation, which ensures that the input balances the manager’s and employee’s viewpoints. You should present this feedback in a one-on-one meeting. It should take place at least quarterly to ensure everyone is on track.
Building trust with your team
One of the best ways to build trust with your team is by setting clear expectations. Having a clearly defined purpose for the team and each employee’s role will help everyone know what to expect from the group. In addition, it will allow everyone to feel a sense of ownership and responsibility. Make sure you discuss these expectations and responsibilities with team members often. For example, hold meetings to set individual goals and map the team’s structure.
Another key to building trust is honesty. Always ask questions to get a more thorough understanding of the other person to avoid the tendency to point fingers and blame and helps people understand each other’s point of view. It also brings the team closer together. Leaders must also be transparent and examine their behavior and motives.
A team that can build trust can achieve success more than one that does not. If team members can feel comfortable revealing their vulnerabilities to one another, it will lead to more collaboration, creativity, and productivity. Conversely, when trust is lacking, people spend more time protecting their interests than helping the team achieve goals.
