As a new leader your world is often swirling with emails, texts, phone calls, requests, deadlines…you have a lot going on! Not only are you responsible for a team, you aren’t 100% sure what to do in a lot of cases.
One thing that’s easy to lose sight of is your people. You know how important they are – and yet you have a million things to do and want to make an impact.
If you’re feeling that way it is time to slow things down. Refocus on your people. Here are three very simple, yet effective ways to do so:
1. Make sure you are meeting with your direct reports once/week. Ensure you have 30min. Start the conversation so it’s focused on them, not you. For example, “what is the most important thing you want to talk about right now?”
2. Find out what keeps them engaged. Ask – what does engagement mean to you? What do you need from me to ensure you bring your best self to your work? How do you like be to recognized? Truthfully, it doesn’t really matter what you say – it’s the fact that you care enough to inquire that goes a long way. And WRITE IT DOWN so you don’t forget!
3. Break bread. Sometimes you just need a meal and drinks, an offsite, attending a conference, etc. to bond with your team. Get to know them on a personal level. No one really cares how much you know as a manager until they know how much you care. And while some employees will value this more than others, we are all human at the end of the day. It matters.
Be great,
Ian
