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Be Fair NOT Nice When Leading Teams + 10 Team Performance Tactics · Enhance.training

• 0:00
  SPEAKER_00: Be fair, not nice, when leading teams, and you will effortlessly be a lot more popular and a lot more effective in your job.
• 0:09
  SPEAKER_00: A manager's job is to improve team performance and develop as much of the potential of the team as they can.
• 0:15
  SPEAKER_00: Trying to be popular or getting team members to like you is a great way to shoot yourself in both feet.
• 0:22
  SPEAKER_00: Being nice is not the answer.
• 0:24
  SPEAKER_00: And I'm not suggesting that you don't be friendly, that you don't help, or that you don't make yourself approachable.
• 0:31
  SPEAKER_00: Being a leader or a manager of a team is a tough balancing act.
• 0:35
  SPEAKER_00: Great managers maintain the delicate balance between the many conflicting human and business demands.
• 0:41
  SPEAKER_00: We've all seen the too nice manager, whose team runs a mock and does what they want.
• 0:47
  SPEAKER_00: Just as bad is the manager who rules through fear and creates a group of unmotivated robots.
• 0:53
  SPEAKER_00: Neither of these teams will perform well, nor will a manager's career go far or anywhere fast.
• 0:59
  SPEAKER_00: The principles I'm sharing today will help you achieve a better balance between the human and business demands of being a leader.
• 1:06
  SPEAKER_00: Be fair, not nice when managing teams effectively.
• 1:10
  SPEAKER_00: Here are 10 examples of the behaviours of leaders and managers being too nice and causing themselves a lot of problems as a result.
• 1:19
  SPEAKER_00: First, allowing team members to do what they want, set their own direction, etc.
• 1:24
  SPEAKER_00: Secondly, letting team members turn up late to work, late to meetings or missed deadlines.
• 1:31
  SPEAKER_00: Three, taking actions to increase their popularity rather than do what is best for the team results.
• 1:38
  SPEAKER_00: Fourth, not holding team members to account, nor holding them responsible for their results, decisions, actions and behaviours.
• 1:45
  SPEAKER_00: Fifth, being fearful of providing corrective feedback or only providing bland, safe feedback.
• 1:52
  SPEAKER_00: Sixth, sugarcoating their messages.
• 1:54
  SPEAKER_00: For example, being overly positive while ignoring the challenges or avoiding talking about what is not working.
• 2:02
  SPEAKER_00: Seventh, looking the other way rather than tackling mistakes, issues or reinforcing standards.
• 2:08
  SPEAKER_00: Eighth, not setting clear expectations to avoid upsetting or disappointing.
• 2:13
  SPEAKER_00: Ninth, bending over backwards to help popular team members.
• 2:17
  SPEAKER_00: Tenth, doing whatever their boss asks, without questioning, without challenging, without considering the impact on the team, even when it is going to be detrimental to the team or achieving team targets.
• 2:29
  SPEAKER_00: You'll have seen plenty of similar examples.
• 2:32
  SPEAKER_00: In my experience, the more a manager tries to please team members who puts likability ahead of doing their best for the team, the more the manager loses the respect of the team, loses their credibility, and ultimately is not liked.
• 2:45
  SPEAKER_00: I personally have been there.
• 2:47
  SPEAKER_00: A long time ago, before I got my first proper job at EY, I tried to be too nice or tried the too nice approach, and it really failed me and my team miserably.
• 2:58
  SPEAKER_00: To have a group of individuals that works as a team, that is motivated and uses their talents, experience and skills to do what is best for team results, the leader or manager can't be a tyrant, can't be difficult, dictate or rule through fear.
• 3:12
  SPEAKER_00: I've also tried the I'm the boss, you must do what I say approach on my brothers and sister after my parents broke up.
• 3:19
  SPEAKER_00: I was 10 and I still remember the efforts to this day.
• 3:23
  SPEAKER_00: This approach also failed miserably.
• 3:26
  SPEAKER_00: To be successful, a leader needs to find a sensible balance, a middle ground, and this balance can be different with different teams and different situations.
• 3:36
  SPEAKER_00: My name is Jess Coles, and if you're new to this podcast, Enhanced Dot Training provides resources and courses for you to build management expertise and confidence to lead any team to their best performance.
• 3:47
  SPEAKER_00: I've included links to additional resources in the podcast description to help you manage your team fairly, effectively, and to build great team performance.
• 3:56
  SPEAKER_00: Do take a look at these.
• 3:58
  SPEAKER_00: Here are six actions that are almost guaranteed in building trusting manager-employee relationships in any team.
• 4:06
  SPEAKER_00: The six actions are firstly demonstrate your competence and how you are visibly contributing to team success.
• 4:13
  SPEAKER_00: Secondly, consistently solve problems to make everyone's work lives better.
• 4:18
  SPEAKER_00: Third, work hard to develop capability in your team.
• 4:22
  SPEAKER_00: Fourth, protect your team.
• 4:24
  SPEAKER_00: Fifth, be consistent and predictable to create psychological safety.
• 4:28
  SPEAKER_00: And sixth, be authentic and show your vulnerabilities, admit the mistakes you make, share your opinion.
• 4:34
  SPEAKER_00: In short, create opportunities to be relatable for your team.
• 4:38
  SPEAKER_00: Don't only do one or two of these actions, do them all and work hard at getting good at each of them.
• 4:45
  SPEAKER_00: Touching on practical actions to help you get better at each of these actions.
• 4:50
  SPEAKER_00: Firstly, work hard at being good at your job, which in this case is being a better manager or leader.
• 4:57
  SPEAKER_00: Read books, watch videos, take courses, find a mentor or a coach, observe the best managers around you.
• 5:03
  SPEAKER_00: There is a ton you can proactively do.
• 5:06
  SPEAKER_00: Secondly, consistently solve problems that make the team overall a better place to work and makes it more capable of delivering great work and hitting goals.
• 5:15
  SPEAKER_00: This includes making the tough decisions and the unpopular decisions when you know it will be helpful to the team overall.
• 5:23
  SPEAKER_00: Keep looking for problems the team is struggling with and work hard to reduce or remove them.
• 5:28
  SPEAKER_00: Don't forget to update the team on what you're doing.
• 5:32
  SPEAKER_00: Thirdly, work hard to develop the capability of the team.
• 5:36
  SPEAKER_00: The first step is getting to know your team members, their strengths, their skills, their interests, etc.
• 5:41
  SPEAKER_00: Then objectively assess the gap between where each individual is and where you need them to be so the team will reach targets and goals.
• 5:50
  SPEAKER_00: Then work hard in helping each individual bridge that gap.
• 5:54
  SPEAKER_00: Protecting your team is insulating them from low-value requests, fighting for resources, unhelpful changes in direction, undermining, bullying or anything else that damages your team's ability or their motivation to perform.
• 6:08
  SPEAKER_00: Fifth, being consistent and predictable helps create psychological safety in the team.
• 6:14
  SPEAKER_00: Being predictable reinforces expectations and standards.
• 6:18
  SPEAKER_00: For example, if any person does great work, you shout their praises from the rooftops.
• 6:23
  SPEAKER_00: If a person is relating to work, you will have a conversation to find out why.
• 6:27
  SPEAKER_00: Be authentic by being true to who you are.
• 6:30
  SPEAKER_00: Know what you value and what you believe and demonstrate these to the team members.
• 6:35
  SPEAKER_00: Share some of your doubts, some of your mistakes, and some of your fears.
• 6:40
  SPEAKER_00: Show that you are human just like them.
• 6:42
  SPEAKER_00: Show them who you are and how much you care while still remaining professional and results focused.
• 6:49
  SPEAKER_00: Do all of these actions well and you'll be liked without really trying.
• 6:54
  SPEAKER_00: You will also be trusted and respected because you are working hard for the good of the team, not yourself or for those you like best.
• 7:02
  SPEAKER_00: Each of these actions will help you be fair, not nice when leading teams.
• 7:08
  SPEAKER_00: Here are 10 very effective behaviors to be fair, not nice when leading teams.
• 7:14
  SPEAKER_00: Each of these are also great team performance improvement tactics in pretty much any team when used in the right way.
• 7:21
  SPEAKER_00: Firstly, set clear expectations, frameworks and rules for everyone, including you, and keep working each day and week to reinforce these expectations.
• 7:31
  SPEAKER_00: Secondly, be consistent in your decision making, actions and behaviours so the team knows which direction you'll take in a given situation.
• 7:40
  SPEAKER_00: Third, avoid actions, decisions and behaviours that create fear or uncertainty.
• 7:46
  SPEAKER_00: Don't shout, put people down, dictate, fire without warning, embarrass, bully, or any other actions or behaviours that cause fear and doubts within the team.
• 7:55
  SPEAKER_00: Fourth, share relevant information openly and honestly with everyone so they are empowered and understand the context and environment in which they need to work.
• 8:05
  SPEAKER_00: Fifth, don't play or appear to play favourites.
• 8:08
  SPEAKER_00: Treat people you don't like in the same way as those you get on well with.
• 8:13
  SPEAKER_00: Look for the positives and find something you like in all your team members.
• 8:18
  SPEAKER_00: Sixth, be inclusive.
• 8:20
  SPEAKER_00: Listen and use good ideas and solutions from any source.
• 8:24
  SPEAKER_00: Work on listening to your team and you'll have an endless stream of good ideas and solutions coming your way.
• 8:30
  SPEAKER_00: Seventh, celebrate the differences within the team.
• 8:33
  SPEAKER_00: When harnessed well, the differences are what make teams great.
• 8:37
  SPEAKER_00: Understand each person's strengths and make the best use of them when you can.
• 8:42
  SPEAKER_00: Eighth, foster an attitude of service.
• 8:45
  SPEAKER_00: Put your team before yourself and work hard to help the team do the best they can.
• 8:50
  SPEAKER_00: Your performance is your team's performance.
• 8:54
  SPEAKER_00: Ninth, have the courage to say no to your boss, diplomatically, carefully and for the good of the team.
• 9:01
  SPEAKER_00: And then tenth, praise team members for great actions, decisions and behaviours.
• 9:05
  SPEAKER_00: Celebrate success publicly and openly practice meritocracy.
• 9:09
  SPEAKER_00: Work on being fair, not nice when leading teams.
• 9:13
  SPEAKER_00: You'll be a lot more respected and liked as a result, plus you'll have a much better team performance too.
• 9:19
  SPEAKER_00: Enjoy too.
• 9:21
  SPEAKER_00: So in summary, be fair, not nice when leading teams, and you'll gain a lot more respect, more appreciation, and much better performance from your team.
• 9:30
  SPEAKER_00: Managing and leading others is a tough balancing act between many conflicting human and business needs.
• 9:36
  SPEAKER_00: Work at finding the balance that works best for your team and situation.
• 9:41
  SPEAKER_00: To be fair, not nice when leading teams do.
• 9:45
  SPEAKER_00: Firstly, avoid making the 10 mistakes that we talked about about being too nice or anything similar in terms of the actions you take.
• 9:52
  SPEAKER_00: Secondly, work on building trusting manager-employee relationships, and I've shared six actions that every manager should work at.
• 9:59
  SPEAKER_00: And third, we've been through 10 actions that you can take to be fair, not nice when leading teams.
• 10:06
  SPEAKER_00: Do put all of these actions into practice and enjoy a much happier team, greater popularity, and a higher performing team as a result.
• 10:14
  SPEAKER_00: Don't forget I've included links to additional resources in the podcast description to help you manage your team fairly, effectively, and to build great team performance.
• 10:23
  SPEAKER_00: Do take a look at these.
• 10:25
  SPEAKER_00: If you have any questions on be fair not nice when leading teams, 10 team performance tactics, please email me at support at enhance.training and I'll get back to you.
• 10:36
  SPEAKER_00: Thanks very much for listening, and I look forward to speaking to you again soon.