The leader who is unstoppable. The leader who is on the “fast track.” The leader who surpasses every goal and target with ease…and then is promoted into a larger role, only to struggle mightily with mobilizing a larger team.

What happened? And what can you do to set yourself up for success?

The transition from leading a small team to leading a larger team can be tricky. Often, the exact behaviors that led to success with a small team are the exact behaviors that won’t work with a larger team.

3 pitfalls to avoid, and some tips to help you are:

PITFALL 1: Continuing to reference anecdotes that leave new team members out.
TIP 1: Of course you should reference relevant examples and these likely will come from your past experiences. However, your new role offers you the opportunity to have valuable new experiences with your new team members. Make an effort to create fresh narratives. This will help create a greater sense of community and increase engagement.

PITFALL 2: Spending most of your time with the people who you already know well instead of new team members.
TIP 2: It’s easy to be around people you enjoy working with. And you certainly don’t want to lose the strong bonds you already have. However, it’s probable that the results your new role requires you to deliver won’t happen without the mobilization of a larger group of people – and there’s no better way to get strong forward momentum than through building trust with your new team members. Take the time to build authentic relationships and you will reap the rewards.

PITFALL 3: Assuming new team members should and can emulate your previous team’s behavioral norms.
TIP 3: You may not even be aware of what norms your old team had and it’s likely that these norms have helped you move pretty quickly in the past. Pausing to consciously consider how your team should operate given what it has deliver, where people are located, timelines, resource constraints, etc. is invaluable. Even better, take the time to develop these new operating norms with your team (an external facilitator may help). Moving a little slowly at the start will pay off in long run.

You may also consider working with an executive coach who can be your confidential thought partner as you think about how you can take your leadership to the next level (for tips on how to select an executive coach, click here).

Cheers to your leadership success!

Swati
HR Strategy | Executive Coach | Leadership Development

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Swati Bharteey-Buck is a Principal at LeaderStages, a firm focused on human resources strategy, executive coaching, and leadership development programs.  Swati has over 25 years of experience in connecting company strategy and people strategy, simplifying it so people can understand it, and in executing programs in complex business environments. Swati has held executive level positions at globally recognized companies such as Deloitte and The William Wrigley Jr., Company and has an M.B.A. from the University of Chicago, The Booth School. She can be reached at swati@leaderstages.com.

It’s disheartening how often I hear statements like this from clients. Unfortunately, what happens is something this…Excitement wanes. Messages get diluted. Fire drills trump. Shiny new projects distract.

There’s no doubt about it: execution is tough. It requires follow through, perseverance, and an obsessive focus on goals.

Here are 3 things you can do today to bring your strategy to life (hint, engage your people).

1. Get talking.
Remember that unbelievable high you felt when you and your fellow leaders came up with that strategy at your offsite? Now that you’re back at work, it’s your job to help everybody around you feel that same buzz. So get talking – and I mean everywhere. In meetings, in your 1:1’s…anywhere you have an audience. Ideally, you and your leadership team have agreed to the key 3 or 4 points your strategy is based on – repeat those in simple language. Most importantly, keep your energy UP because over 50% of communication is non-verbal. That means people are watching you even more than they are listening to you.

2. Connect the dots.
Now that you’ve started talking, make sure you’re incorporating words and scenarios that your audience can connect to. Why is this strategy important to them? What will it do for the company? What specifically must they do to bring it to life? Do they need more details – or different details? Add in personal anecdotes, ask those around you what they think, and check for understanding. Tailor your message so those listening can connect what you say to what they do every day. Your listeners must be able to imagine themselves being a part of it.

3. Do Your Part.
Actions speak louder than words. Talking energetically will get your people on board in the short-term. But you’re after sustainable momentum for the long haul, which means people have to see you doing your part. Ensure they have what they need to get the job done. Make decisions that support the new strategy. If you don’t have the right leaders in place, make changes. If anything gets in the way, address it. Show everyone that there is nothing more important than achieving your strategy.

Cheers to your leadership success –
Swati
HR Strategy | Executive Coach | Leadership Development

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For example, I had one manager who was superb at offering a sympathetic ear to challenges I was facing in getting decisions made via a cross-functional steering committee. As therapeutic as his sympathy was in the moment, it did absolutely nothing to help me move forward, get my work done, or meet my urgent deadlines. One or two choiceful interventions by my manager would have made all the difference. As you may have guessed, I left that organization (actually, as data shows us time and again, what I really left was that people manager).

Here are 3 ways you can ensure you set your team members up for success – and retain key talent.

1) Provide Role Clarity: Ensure people know what to do, how to do it, by when, and why it is important. Role clarity also reduces anxiety, which can be a major distractor to getting things done. Having role clarity means there is no ambiguity as to what should be accomplished or produced, by when. If your team member doesn’t have the skills to do the job at hand, help them get the skills. If your team member needs hands on support to get started, ensure you or someone else is there to provide it. And when that team member is ready to take flight, remember to get out of the way.

2) Get Resources and Remove Obstacles: Ensure your people have the tools they need to perform well. If they don’t, make a ruckus until you can get them what they need to fulfill the expectations you have put on them– or make sure you change your expectations. Nothing demotivates people faster than aggressive goals with a lack of tools or skills or resources to get the job done. The same goes for obstacles – if something is in their way, help them remove it so they can focus on their work. Stay in frequent contact with your team members on this topic – you never know when the landscape may change. (If the manager I referred to in my anecdote above did this well, I may still be at that organization).

3) Empower Them: Assuming you have qualified team members, make sure you are letting them make decisions and you step in only when needed. This one can be tricky when people are learning; sometimes it means letting them make mistakes and then helping them get back on track in a supportive manner. Still, it’s worth it in the long run. Empowerment gives people ownership and frees up your time for other activities.

Cheers to your leadership success!
Swati
HR Strategy | Executive Coach | Leadership Development

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Be the leader people want to follow. Ask these 6 questions.

What makes you feel recognized?
I once worked for a well-intentioned leader who thanked our team quarterly by taking us out to expensive, steak dinners. Guess what? Half the team hated steak. Several would have preferred an afternoon off, while a few others really valued personal thank you notes. Whether you use this information immediately or at a later date, it’s invaluable to know what makes those around you feel thanked. Don’t let your efforts go to waste – customize your thank you’s.

What motivates you?
For some, it’s a cool new project. For others, it’s visibility. And for others, it’s a chance to lead a project. There are thousands of variations on what people find motivating – find out what ignites your individual team members – then do you your best to organize the work that way. Most people are reasonable and understand their work tasks cannot always be shifted around. Armed with this information, you have the power to make the changes you can.

What is one thing we could do better around here?
You may have a sense of the changes you want to see take place across your company or department – but what about ideas related to making your customers happier today or increasing the efficiency of a key process? Who better to tell you what to improve than those working on specific tasks and deliverables and those who interact with your customers on a daily basis? All you have to do is ask. As an added bonus, your team members will be pleased to share ideas directly with you.

How are you?
Since this question is often asked in a perfunctory manner, be sure to pause and look the other person in the eye as you ask how he or she is. When used intentionally, this question tells the person you are speaking to that you care about them. You will also gain insight into how the person is feeling and what is going in her or his personal and work life – all of which is very relevant to your team member’s performance.

What can I do for you?
As a leader, one key role you play is to do everything you can to help your team members work as efficiently and effectively as possible. This simple question is a quick way to find out if something is slowing your team down or if they’ve hit any roadblocks. It also communicates to the other person that you are willing to actively support his or her efforts and they are not alone.

What is the most interesting thing you are working on?
It’s likely you have a general sense of what each person on your team is working on. But there’s nothing like having the leader stop by to ask you personally what you are working on that you are excited about. It’s a chance for your team member to showcase something. And if he or she doesn’t have an answer, it may be time to re-look what’s on that team member’s plate.

Cheers to your leadership success!
Swati
HR Strategy | Executive Coach | Leadership Development

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Here are 3 simple actions you can take to build better relationships at work.

Be interested. Dive into a topic that the other person wants to discuss. Ask relevant questions. Listen closely. Allow the other person to talk for the majority of time – and I really mean the majority of the time, as in 75%. For you very verbal folks, that means in a 10-minute conversation, the other person talks for 7.5 minutes and you get to speak for 2.5 minutes. Remember that people can tell when you are feigning interest or only half listening. If you are having a crazy day at work and know you cannot focus on what someone else is saying, pick a different day to try out this new behavior – a day when you can authentically be present and convey real interest.

Help them. Nothing moves a relationship forward faster than one person genuinely working towards helping another person, without any self-interest. Is the person you are speaking with struggling to solve a work issue? Can you brainstorm options with him or her? Is work life balance throwing them out of whack? Do you have suggestions for them? Or can you help them figure out how to free up some time? Does the person have a family member in search of a job? Can you give them resume advice or connect them with people in your network? Maybe you have no solutions to offer and the other person just needs to vent. My experience is that there is usually a way to help that won’t eat up days of your time.

Remember stuff. As you start having conversations and learning more about other people, their needs, and what they enjoy, it’s extremely important that you also remember what they’ve shared with you previously. If they’ve discussed stories about kids, ask about the kids. If they’ve shared angst over a new house, ask how it’s going. And if you did help their niece with a networking referral, ask how the job search is going. These simple follow-ups help others see that you are authentically engaging with them.

Cheers to your leadership success!
Swati
HR Strategy | Executive Coach | Leadership Development

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