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Transcript

How to Develop Your Best Team Members · Enhance.training

• 0:00
  SPEAKER_00: How to develop your best team members is a pretty tough challenge as a manager.
• 0:04
  SPEAKER_00: So if you're lucky enough to have one or more star performers on your team, how do you go about managing and developing them?
• 0:12
  SPEAKER_00: I explain nine actions you should be taking to get the most out of your best team members and keep them in the business for longer.
• 0:21
  SPEAKER_00: My name is Jess Coles and I've led and managed teams for over 25 years in corporates and household names through to SMEs.
• 0:28
  SPEAKER_00: And I've had the pleasure of developing many great team members over the last 25 years, contributing to several best team prizes.
• 0:36
  SPEAKER_00: If you're new to this podcast, Enhanced.training provides online business courses to help professionals, managers and business owners improve their performance.
• 0:46
  SPEAKER_00: And if you like this podcast, please share it with friends and colleagues and visit us at enhanced.training.
• 0:53
  SPEAKER_00: Let's first talk about your goals as a manager for the best team members.
• 0:58
  SPEAKER_00: So action one is to decide on your goals for your best team members.
• 1:03
  SPEAKER_00: Here are four goals that always made sense for me.
• 1:06
  SPEAKER_00: Firstly, to get the most value out of my best team members as possible.
• 1:10
  SPEAKER_00: Second, to keep them learning and developing, which I always felt was one of the best retention methods.
• 1:15
  SPEAKER_00: Thirdly, to keep them in the business but not necessarily my team for as long as possible.
• 1:20
  SPEAKER_00: And fourth to keep them happy.
• 1:22
  SPEAKER_00: You may have additional ones as well.
• 1:25
  SPEAKER_00: When you have talented people on your team, they can produce results that other team members struggle to deliver.
• 1:31
  SPEAKER_00: It is a great place to be as a manager.
• 1:34
  SPEAKER_00: The downside is that every team and company want these talented individuals, so they have a lot to choose from if they go looking.
• 1:43
  SPEAKER_00: Keep them in your company and team is a challenge.
• 1:46
  SPEAKER_00: By focusing on developing your best team members, you are helping them deliver even more for you, the team and the business, and you're increasing the chances that they will stay longer.
• 1:58
  SPEAKER_00: This is a win-win-win situation for you, them and the business.
• 2:02
  SPEAKER_00: So let's explore some different ways of achieving this.
• 2:06
  SPEAKER_00: So action two is to keep your best team members challenged and learning.
• 2:11
  SPEAKER_00: Giving your best team members new challenges regularly is hard work.
• 2:15
  SPEAKER_00: After all, the day job needs to be done and creating new opportunities can be challenging.
• 2:20
  SPEAKER_00: Here are some ideas to help you.
• 2:22
  SPEAKER_00: You could swap tasks or responsibilities between team members.
• 2:27
  SPEAKER_00: You could give them some of the work that you typically look after.
• 2:30
  SPEAKER_00: You can give them project work to do, providing it gives them learning opportunities.
• 2:35
  SPEAKER_00: You could ask them to solve some of your specific problems.
• 2:39
  SPEAKER_00: You could give them goals to reach and ask them how to come up with how they're going to get there, i.e.
• 2:44
  SPEAKER_00: coach and mentor as needed, but don't tell them how to do it.
• 2:48
  SPEAKER_00: You could ask them to mentor and help other team members, you know, create a buddy system or similar.
• 2:53
  SPEAKER_00: Or you could ask them to look after stakeholders in the wider business.
• 2:58
  SPEAKER_00: When you start thinking about all the activities and projects that you and the team can get involved in, or do get involved in, you'll probably have a lot of options.
• 3:06
  SPEAKER_00: The hard part is making those options reality.
• 3:10
  SPEAKER_00: This will require you to organise the changes, speak to the team members and stakeholders, make sure suitable training and handover happen, and of course get buy-in from for the changes from all the team members.
• 3:23
  SPEAKER_00: Making changes to workloads and responsibilities can be great development opportunities for all the team members, not just your best team members.
• 3:32
  SPEAKER_00: Just remember every person will have a different appetite for change and development.
• 3:38
  SPEAKER_00: So action three is to help them build relationships within the business.
• 3:43
  SPEAKER_00: In nearly every job, we all work in teams and interact with a range of people, therefore building and maintaining good professional relationships is vital.
• 3:52
  SPEAKER_00: If you want to get promoted and move towards more senior positions, then your ability to form and manage good relationships is probably one of the most important skills that you will need.
• 4:02
  SPEAKER_00: For this reason, the more help you're able to give your star performers in this area, the better.
• 4:08
  SPEAKER_00: So develop your best team members by giving them plenty of opportunities to develop relationships with individuals throughout the business.
• 4:15
  SPEAKER_00: Cross-functional projects and teams are a great way of doing this.
• 4:19
  SPEAKER_00: Anything that gets them away from their desks and productively speaking to other people or new people is great.
• 4:25
  SPEAKER_00: Create opportunities to introduce them to other stakeholders and managers in the business.
• 4:31
  SPEAKER_00: So action four is to give the best team members additional responsibility and autonomy.
• 4:38
  SPEAKER_00: As a manager, the more responsibility and autonomy you can give to your team, the more they will learn and the less you will need to do.
• 4:45
  SPEAKER_00: Of course, there is always a balancing act with each team member between being hands-off and providing enough support that they are learning and being productive.
• 4:54
  SPEAKER_00: Generally speaking, the stronger the team member, the more autonomy one should give them.
• 4:59
  SPEAKER_00: You'll be making better use of their skills, give yourself more time to focus on other areas and keep everyone happier.
• 5:07
  SPEAKER_00: Giving responsibility and autonomy doesn't mean that you can leave the person unsupported.
• 5:12
  SPEAKER_00: If it's the first time doing a particular type of project or activity, they will benefit from your guidance.
• 5:19
  SPEAKER_00: How you give support is important and will be your judgment call.
• 5:24
  SPEAKER_00: My suggestions are do coach them, i.e.
• 5:27
  SPEAKER_00: ask the right questions to get them thinking and solving the key problems.
• 5:31
  SPEAKER_00: But don't necessarily give them the answers too quickly, only give them the answers if they're really stuck.
• 5:36
  SPEAKER_00: Do obviously help them get the right resources in place.
• 5:41
  SPEAKER_00: Point out the common pitfalls to watch out for in a particular project type or activity.
• 5:46
  SPEAKER_00: Help them define the goal and how you and they will know when it has been reached.
• 5:51
  SPEAKER_00: Do check up on them periodically, ask if they need any help and if they're on track, rather than grilling them on giving you details of progress.
• 6:01
  SPEAKER_00: On the flip side, don't give them instructions on how to get to the goal unless they ask for help, i.e., coach first and then tell them second if coaching doesn't work.
• 6:12
  SPEAKER_00: Don't leave them on their own until the day before the deadline, don't ignore any requests for support or help, and don't leave the goal or outcome poorly defined.
• 6:23
  SPEAKER_00: Another tip: if staff members come up to you for a decision on their area of responsibility, try not to provide one until the staff member has given you their decision on the matter first.
• 6:33
  SPEAKER_00: This encourages the team members to make decisions and keep the responsibility rather than handing it back to you.
• 6:40
  SPEAKER_00: Remember, giving responsibility and autonomy will free up a lot of your time and make your team more effective.
• 6:48
  SPEAKER_00: So action five is to manage their workload to avoid burnout.
• 6:53
  SPEAKER_00: In most companies that I've worked in, the good people tend to be past more and more of the work because they get it done and they do it well.
• 7:01
  SPEAKER_00: This can be great for individuals to a point.
• 7:04
  SPEAKER_00: And once past that point, they have too much work and are starting to struggle to do everything asked of them.
• 7:10
  SPEAKER_00: Your job as a manager is to know when that point is reached and to ensure that the individual is busy and productive but not overworked, and this is quite a difficult balance to maintain.
• 7:21
  SPEAKER_00: Make the time to regularly check on the workload of each person you manage.
• 7:25
  SPEAKER_00: Keep an eye or keep an extra eye on the workload of your best team members.
• 7:30
  SPEAKER_00: You do need to keep it to a manageable level to avoid the individuals burning out or getting unhappy.
• 7:35
  SPEAKER_00: If either occur, your best performers may leave the company to go elsewhere, which is exactly what you don't want.
• 7:44
  SPEAKER_00: Action six is to create a specific development plan for the individual.
• 7:49
  SPEAKER_00: One of the best ways of developing your best team members is to find out what they want to achieve in their career or at least over the next few years.
• 7:57
  SPEAKER_00: Just ask them, have a have a conversation.
• 8:00
  SPEAKER_00: Say that you want to build a development plan for the individual, and knowing where they want to head to will make it a lot more useful.
• 8:07
  SPEAKER_00: Sit down with the individual and work out the types of activities, projects and responsibilities that will help them get towards their goals.
• 8:17
  SPEAKER_00: Then work out a practical way of delivering some or all of these within the constraints of the team and the company.
• 8:24
  SPEAKER_00: It is really important to be realistic and to give yourself some wiggle room.
• 8:28
  SPEAKER_00: Business landscapes change and different requirements and pressures come up.
• 8:32
  SPEAKER_00: You need to anticipate some movement or changes to your plan so that you don't overpromise and under-deliver.
• 8:40
  SPEAKER_00: If you create a plan, then the individuals will be judging you and your ability to deliver your side of the bargain, i.e., creating the opportunities set out in the plan.
• 8:50
  SPEAKER_00: Having a development plan and this plan being delivered against by you will create a lot of trust and appreciation from the recipient.
• 8:59
  SPEAKER_00: This is a powerful retention tool, and you get even more from the individual as their skills and experience are expanding.
• 9:09
  SPEAKER_00: Action seven.
• 9:11
  SPEAKER_00: Coach and mentor your team members.
• 9:14
  SPEAKER_00: I have found that coaching and mentoring is one of the most important investments a manager can make in their team.
• 9:21
  SPEAKER_00: The more you put into trying to develop your team, the more you get back from them.
• 9:25
  SPEAKER_00: This helps you directly and it helps the company.
• 9:28
  SPEAKER_00: Everyone is a winner.
• 9:30
  SPEAKER_00: Coaching is about getting the team member to think and take responsibility.
• 9:35
  SPEAKER_00: This means you don't provide the answers but ask questions to prompt their thinking.
• 9:39
  SPEAKER_00: This is an important skill to develop and great to use for your high-performing members of staff.
• 9:45
  SPEAKER_00: Do what you can to keep the responsibility with the team member as we've discussed before.
• 9:50
  SPEAKER_00: Mentoring is about passing your knowledge and experience over to the team member.
• 9:54
  SPEAKER_00: You are the teacher and they are the learner.
• 9:57
  SPEAKER_00: This is very useful for when the person just doesn't know what to do or is going down the wrong path.
• 10:03
  SPEAKER_00: Both these skill sets are really useful to employ as a manager to get the best out of your team.
• 10:09
  SPEAKER_00: Don't expect results overnight, but do expect that the investment you make will pay back and then some over the months and years ahead.
• 10:19
  SPEAKER_00: Action 8.
• 10:20
  SPEAKER_00: Make use of external development opportunities.
• 10:23
  SPEAKER_00: Sometimes there's only so much you can do within the business to create development opportunities.
• 10:29
  SPEAKER_00: This is why it remains important to keep looking for suitable external development opportunities for your staff.
• 10:35
  SPEAKER_00: Think about training courses to develop skills and knowledge that will help the team or company directly as well as develop the individual.
• 10:42
  SPEAKER_00: For example, if the individual is future manager material, then courses involving managing staff and building relationships with a wide range of stakeholders will be really useful.
• 10:53
  SPEAKER_00: Coaching programs offer bespoke learning for individuals and can produce fantastic results.
• 10:59
  SPEAKER_00: Another option is to encourage your team members to read books or even watch YouTube videos on relevant subjects.
• 11:06
  SPEAKER_00: There is a lot that can be learned from both of these.
• 11:09
  SPEAKER_00: Skills cannot be learnt from a book or a video, they do need to be practiced, so bear this in mind.
• 11:14
  SPEAKER_00: Whatever route you choose, investigate and include external learning opportunities in your plans to develop your best team members.
• 11:24
  SPEAKER_00: And finally, action nine, keep an eye on the group dynamics.
• 11:29
  SPEAKER_00: While you are developing your best team members, it is important that you also look to develop the rest of your team too.
• 11:36
  SPEAKER_00: If you only focus on the best members of the team, you are likely to build resentment amongst the rest of the team.
• 11:42
  SPEAKER_00: This would not help the team overall.
• 11:45
  SPEAKER_00: Everyone will learn at their own pace and will want development at the pace that they are happy with and they can manage.
• 11:52
  SPEAKER_00: In a team, you will have team members moving at different development speeds and requiring different levels of inputs to achieve this.
• 11:59
  SPEAKER_00: We suggest putting more of your time and energy into developing the stronger performers rather than the weak ones, as this will produce a better overall team performance.
• 12:09
  SPEAKER_00: But don't forget about the other team members.
• 12:12
  SPEAKER_00: A great way of consolidating the learning is asking team members to teach what they have learnt to other members of the team.
• 12:18
  SPEAKER_00: You could ask those that are strong in a particular area to teach the rest of the team, for instance.
• 12:22
  SPEAKER_00: This helps both the teacher and the students.
• 12:26
  SPEAKER_00: Being consistent and fair are both important disciplines as a manager and will make your job easier and far more enjoyable in the long term.
• 12:36
  SPEAKER_00: So, in summary, developing your best team members should be a pleasure.
• 12:40
  SPEAKER_00: Investing in development of the best performers and the wider team will pay you back several times over in terms of team performance, team ability, team morale, retention improvements and a better team culture.
• 12:53
  SPEAKER_00: All of these reflect on you as the manager of the team.
• 12:56
  SPEAKER_00: Team development skills are great skills to have and improve, and they create win-win situations for all involved.
• 13:04
  SPEAKER_00: Enjoy coming out with new ways to develop your team members.
• 13:10
  SPEAKER_00: So do visit us at enhanced.training and take a look at the courses and resources to help you manage and develop your team.
• 13:17
  SPEAKER_00: And if you like this podcast, please share it with friends and colleagues and visit us at enhance.training.
• 13:23
  SPEAKER_00: Thanks very much for listening, and I look forward to speaking to you soon.