April 4, 2023 • 20 mins
What can you do better to make a positive difference? Team engagement is a necessity. If your team is quiet, it doesn’t mean things are necessary going well. You have to engage with them and continually be assessing where you can affect positive change and ensure the work continues to a high level. So, how should you engage with your team to make them better, to create a better work environment, and to foster a greater work experience?
Tools for better team engagement:
1) Resourcing,
2) Training,
3) Create an efficiency and update your processes to better align tasks,
4) Team culture and environment,
5) How to address concerns,
6) Improve communication, and
7) Create opportunities for advancement.
Please connect with me on:
1. Instagram: stephen.mclain
2. Twitter: smclainiii
3. Facebook: stephenmclainconsultant
4. LinkedIn: stephenjmclainiii
For more resources, please visit stephenmclain.com. On the website, you can download the Leadership Growth Blueprint for Finance and Accounting Managers. You can use this guide to develop your leadership by focusing on communication, and growing and empowering your team.
You can now purchase a course to help you advance your career from financeleaderacademy.com. It's called Advance Your Finance and Accounting Career: Developing a Promotion Strategy that Sets You Apart.
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Transcript
Episode Transcript
Available transcripts are automatically generated. Complete accuracy is not guaranteed.
Stephen McLain (00:00):
Hi, this is Steven McLean and the finance
leader podcast. This is bonusepisode number 57. I hope you're
having a great week and gettinglots done and accomplishing
much. I also hope you're leaningin with your teams to make a
positive difference. What canyou do better to make a positive
difference? Team engagement is anecessity, you probably have all
(00:21):
types of team members from thehigh performer overachiever to
the loyal person whom you cancount on, no matter what, to the
one who gets it done just beforethe deadline to the one who does
the bare minimum to keep theirjob to the one with the daily
drama that you have to dealwith. We have all types on our
teams. If your team is quiet, itdoesn't mean things are
(00:44):
necessarily going well. You haveto engage with them and
continually be assessing whereyou can affect positive change
and ensure that work continuesto be done. At a high level, do
spot checks of work and enforcevery high standards, speak with
confidence and know how to dothe tasks of the team very well.
(01:04):
Also Talk respectfully anddocument carefully all actions
and issues, both positive andnegative, recognize great
behavior and results and correctany negative behavior and coach
through anything less thanfavorable results, document the
good and the bad. So how shouldyou engage with your team to
(01:25):
make them better, to create abetter work environment and to
foster a greater workexperience? Now here are a few
areas to consider. Number oneresourcing, does your team have
the tools and resources to dotheir job? I'm not talking about
platinum plated pool solutions.
But do they have what areasonable person would need to
accomplish their job to a highdegree without frustration? Do
(01:46):
the assessment and ask your teamwhat they may be missing? Or if
something needs to be fixed,coordinate and request the
necessary resources that may bemissing and replace resources
that are no longer workingproperly? This includes
facilities also, number twotraining is there a training
gap? With what they're beingasked to do? Do you need to
(02:09):
coordinate for or develop newtraining to address any gaps in
understanding request trainingfunds for courses if that will
help and also develop some inhouse solutions to close the gap
number three new process orpolicy in efficiencies
development, sometimes withchange or with new requirements.
It may require a policy orprocess update or a new approved
(02:31):
efficiency? Have the taskrequirements changed so much
that requires a policy update?
Create an efficiency or adopt apolicy change so that your team
does not adopt a shortcut toovercome an issue which would
then bring in additional risk.
This is a great discussionpoint. Do you know the
difference between anestablished efficiency versus
when someone takes a shortcut? Ashortcut does not address the
(02:55):
apparent risk and the processyour team member has chosen to
perform and efficiency whendevelop properly will always
address and minimize the riskinvolved. Number four how to
address concerns. Does your teamfeel like they can address a
concern with you? Howapproachable Are you? Leadership
is about approachability andlistening just lend an ear to
(03:16):
listen about concerns it willmake a huge difference. Number
five, culture and environmentdoes your team culture foster
trust and high growthachievement? What can you do
differently to create a culturewhere the team feels valued and
believes they can win? Numbersix improved communication.
Communication is key tounderstanding improved
(03:39):
communication combined with highintegrity and great character
leads to more trust. When wecommunicate clearly our intent,
the purpose, our values, and thevision. And then we live up to
what we have communicated. Thatshows your team that your word
means a lot. share relevantinformation up front always and
seven create opportunities foradvancement. As leaders we
(04:01):
should create and provideopportunities for our team
members to excel so they canadvance in their careers.
Challenge your team members sothey can show off their
potential for greaterresponsibility. reward those who
outperform the standard. Teamengagement is an everyday task
and an everyday emphasis so yourteam knows you care and that
they matter that they areappreciated, that you're sharing
(04:22):
key information, and that theycan get opportunities to prove
themselves and for growth anddevelopment. I will cover more
of this in an upcoming episode.
When you get a chance pleasecheck out finance leader Academy
I offer a course called advanceyour career. I added a link to
the show notes so you canpreview this course. This week I
(04:43):
want to share an encore episodewith you episode 79 create a
more positive work environmentfor your team. Can your team
members thrive in their currentwork environment? As leaders we
have standards to uphold tasksto get done and a strategy to
execute but do our team membersbelieve If they are being
treated well, are their voicesheard? And do they have
(05:04):
opportunities for growth anddevelopment? The outline for
this episode is number one, areyour team members thriving?
Number two, what would your teamsay about you anonymous survey?
Number three? Are you helpingyour team members to grow and
win? And finally for what canyou do to create a more positive
environment? Please enjoy thisencore Episode Episode 79.
(05:26):
Create a more positive workenvironment for your team.
Season 14 would debut on April18. Thank you.
Can your team members thrive intheir current work environment?
As leaders we have standards touphold tasks to get done, and a
(05:49):
strategy to execute. But howwell do our team members believe
they are treated? Are theirvoices heard? And do they have
opportunities for growth anddevelopment? How much time do
you invest in your team members?
When you lead a team, you havemore responsibility than only
completing tasks on the list toless people who are looking to
you to help them accomplishtheir goals and help them to
(06:11):
have a daily positiveexperience.
The greatest responsibility wehave is to grow other leaders.
And we do that by creating anenvironment of support, learning
and development. Please enjoythe episode. Welcome to the
finance leader podcast whereleadership is bigger than the
numbers. I am your host, StephenMcLean. This is the podcast for
(06:35):
developing leaders in financeand accounting. Please consider
following me on Twitter,Facebook, Instagram, and
LinkedIn. My usernames and thelinks are in this episode's show
notes. And also, please join theFacebook group I have for this
podcast community. Thank you.
This is episode number 79. Andnow we'll be talking about how
(06:56):
leaders should be creating apositive environment for their
teams. And I'll highlight thefollowing topics. Number one,
are your team members thriving?
Number two? What would your teamsay about you in an anonymous
survey? Number three? Are youhelping your team members to
grow? And when? And for? Whatcan you do to create a more
(07:19):
positive environment? DenisWaitley said, Don't dwell on
what went wrong. Instead, focuson what to do next, spend your
energies on moving forwardtoward finding the answer. Now,
what would your team say aboutyou in a completely anonymous
survey? Would they say you careabout them? That you want them
(07:42):
to win? That you are setting theright example of behavior,
ethics and humility? Do yourteam members want to emulate you
and become you? Or do theyrevile you? Are your team
members merely surviving youevery day? Or are they thriving
under your leadership, and areexcited to start the day with
you in the lead? As the leaderwe set the conditions for
(08:05):
success, we have the duty tocommunicate clearly what we
expect. And then also to leadethically and to set the right
example with our own behaviorand actions and how well we
treat others. Also, how are weperforming on a daily basis? Are
we completing our duties to ahigh level of performance, I
(08:27):
have served under many differenttypes of leaders from the mean
and uncaring to the weak andhave no real idea of where they
want to go to the incrediblyselfish and who wanted to steal
the organization to ensure theirown success without caring what
happened to everyone else. But Ialso had some incredible leaders
who set the right example, whocared about my own career, who
(08:50):
ensured we were properlyresourced, who gave us enough
room to do our jobs and wereavailable if we needed to ask
for help. The best I have servedunder had a few special
characteristics. They carefullyplanned how involved they were
in my day. Not too much, not toolittle. They coached and only
(09:11):
directed when they had to. Theyallowed me to be me and let me
get the work done. My way. Wherewe agreed upon was the
expectation. These were balancedin their approached. They held
people accountable, but alsowere deeply committed and how
they coached you to achieve it.
They got out of the way whenthey needed to. They understood
(09:31):
a situation before judging andthey treated people fairly and
they preserved everyone'sdignity. Even when having tough
conversations aroundperformance. There are required
duties we need to be doing asleaders. How do you set
expectations? How do you holdpeople accountable and also show
genuine concern for your teammembers growth. We should want
(09:53):
our team members to do betterthan just survive the work day
each day. They should be in factthriving. You can have the tough
conversations withoutcommunicating that you are only
showing up to ensure you lookgood. So your career flourishes,
but that nothing great happensfor your team. Here is the test.
If the work your team is doingwill elevate your own standing,
(10:16):
and your team members are notreaping the same benefits from
their own work, then there is animbalance and you have not done
enough to care for your team.
Have your team members receivedappropriate raises promotions,
recognition, company awards,more opportunities, and anything
else that is deserved. So theircareers move forward to if you
(10:41):
are getting all these and youmove ahead and no one else is
moving also, then something iswrong, there is an imbalance you
as the leader have failed. Ibelieve that a leader who is
treating their team membersfairly and holding everyone
accountable to the samestandard, we'll have no issues
on those typical surveys. And wedon't lead for great survey
(11:03):
results we lead so we can make apositive difference for the
people on our team. And then thesurveys will not be an issue.
Leaders often get confused onthe balance between being
approachable, and ensuring theteam achieves a high level of
excellence. You can get the workdone without abusing the entire
team. This always starts withhow we approach leadership. You
(11:25):
don't have to be a peoplepleaser. And no, you don't have
to act toxic. Those are twoextremes. We are looking for you
to be a coach and a mentor. Andthese are two different roles
you need to play and not at thesame time. And I don't want you
to base your leadership onsurveys. We should always be
doing the right thing regardingleadership. treat everyone
(11:47):
fairly and with dignity andshare you're helping your team
members to win and that theyhave opportunities to grow. Are
they resource properly? Do theyhave the tools to do well? Are
you helping them see where theycan improve? Are you waiting to
judge a situation so you can getall the information first, I
don't want to see leadersoperating in the extremes. One
(12:10):
is a people pleaser with nodirection and one is a self
serving narcissistic bully. Bothcan be toxic, both are harmful.
I want to see leaders as coacheswho can help eliminate obstacles
and to help their team membersachieve their goals. Now let's
talk about how leaders cancreate a positive working
environment. Number one, areyour team members thriving? Are
(12:35):
your team members excited aboutthe work every day? Or are they
only excited about going tolunch? And clocking out at the
end of the day? I know this is aloaded question. And there are
many variables in this. We allhave the one person who is
miserable, and does not want tobe there. But do your team
members get excited about theprojects they're working on?
(12:56):
When they are not excited? Itmight be they are not resourced
properly or have enough time toproperly complete a tasks to
thrive is to go beyond dailysurvival of the workload. And
the interactions we all have tothrive is to grow and develop
and to be better tomorrow thanyou were yesterday. To thrive is
literally to flourish and toprosper. Are you thankful for
(13:19):
your team? What do you do whenbad news happens? Do you fly off
the handle into a rage? Or doyou approach it from a problem
solving perspective? Are yousupportive of your team when
adversity strikes and it willhappen? What do you do? How do
you react? Please assess if yourteam is growing under your
leadership, or are theywithering away? Are they growing
(13:42):
under your guidance? Can you dobetter? Number two, what would
your team say about you in ananonymous survey? I don't want
you to lead based on what mayhappen on a survey. But these
surveys happen. And when anemployee believes they are an
anonymous, truly anonymous, theywill fill them out. Honestly, I
have dealt with surveys fordecades. Sometimes they are
(14:04):
brutal. And sometimes you getnothing out of them. And we
don't get too concerned aboutoutlier generalities. But what
if you see comments that arecommon across the team? Like my
supervisor doesn't care about mygrowth and development? Or my
boss doesn't let me do my job.
One answer may be an outlier.
But if 80% of your team issaying this, you may have a
(14:26):
problem. So what will your teamsay about you in a survey they
believe to be completelyanonymous. Yes, employees don't
always believe surveys areanonymous, and that they can be
tracked and a company can figureout who answered what this
belief does happen. But whatwould they say about you? Are
you growth oriented? Do you givecredit? Do you only care about
(14:48):
yourself? Do you invest in yourteam? This feedback is very
important. So what will they sayabout you and what can you do
differently? Number three, areyou helping your team members to
grow and win. One greatprivilege we have is that we can
eliminate obstacles for ourteam, we get to resource them,
(15:08):
and can set the conditions forsuccess so that we can help them
win and achieve their goals.
Unfortunately, we do have absentleaders who give little
direction, who don't coach, andwho don't create a pathway for
success. These are the leaderswho stay in their office that's
both physical and virtualoffice, and then embark just
figure it out. I am a believerand figure it out up to the
(15:30):
point where the leader isfailing to do their basic
responsibilities. I see leadersbragging this as their
philosophy. But they have donenothing to really lead because
their team has to go around themand no, their leader is not
there for them. These are absentleaders and are among the
weakest and most hated of all,they will never be there for you
(15:51):
to solve an issue or to resourcea problem properly, your team
will figure it out every timeand you will become more
irrelevant every day, if youjust use the quote unquote,
figured out philosophy. So thebig question is, what are you
going to do to help your teamwin up to the point where you
don't do the work for them? Butyou are creating the conditions?
(16:14):
So they do when? How are youcreating the conditions for
success? Number four, what canyou do to create a more positive
environment? Are you showinggenuine interest in your team
members? Or are you using themto elevate your own career? This
is a huge deal. When we lead ateam or a department or an
organization, what your team isdoing can decide your own fate,
(16:37):
your own career path, and whatyou get to do next, that is a
fact. What are you doing to helpyour own team to thrive and grow
as you also grow and get betteropportunities. I would like for
leaders to create an environmentof growth and opportunity be
open to helping your team reacha goal to improve a skill and to
(16:57):
develop a talent that may seemout of reach right now have a
philosophy that fosters andpromotes learning and wanting to
become better today than we wereyesterday. It is also an
environment with no favoritism.
And for accountability for thosewho are not pulling their share
(17:18):
of the task load. Create anenvironment of trust. And we as
leaders need to start thatfirst. I like to see teams who
openly collaborate who trusteach other, who support each
other. And it begins with theleader, we must begin. So there
are teams follow and begin to dothose same activities. Again, I
(17:38):
have worked for many differenttypes of leaders in my career,
you can always tell if you'rebeing used to help your boss
elevate their career, but theydo nothing to help you elevate
your own. So let's not be thattype of leader, recognize your
team, get there more money,promotions and other rewards, as
they produce excellent work asthey sacrifice for the team, and
(18:01):
the organization. And even foryou for action today. Like
always, I love to askintrospective questions to
provoke thinking in action. Whatare you doing to help your team
members to thrive? And when?
What is your approach tocoaching a performance to a
higher level? Are you genuinelyconcerned? Are you arrogant? are
you preaching me a solution? Orare you helping me to self
(18:25):
discover the solution? And areyour team members frustrated
with their work environment? Orcan they accomplish their tasks?
Do they have the tools they needor isn't impossible to get a
great work product done everyday? Please consider these
questions so you can makeappropriate changes in how you
(18:45):
view others and how you helpyour team to win. Today I talked
about how a leader should createa positive environment for their
team. And I highlighted thefollowing points number one, are
your team members thriving?
Number two? What would your teamsay about you in an anonymous
survey? Number three, are youhelping your team members to
grow and when and for what canyou do to create a more positive
(19:09):
environment. I believe that whena leader creates a positive
environment for the team, theywill see the impossible be
achieved. That productivity willnaturally increase that people
will be happy to start their dayand get more things done in a
positive environment does notmean that people are doing what
they want. It means wecommunicate better. We share
(19:30):
ideas, we collaborate, weencourage each other and we help
people to grow and develop. Wealso hold ourselves accountable.
high performers expect everyoneon the team to perform at a high
standard and the leader isexpected to enforce that high
standard. But we also can holdeach other accountable in a
healthy and positive way. Thatis our goal. Next week I'll be
(19:54):
sharing about how you should beadvocating for yourself always
there This is a very importanttopic as we build our careers. I
hope you enjoyed the financeleader podcast, I am dedicated
to helping you grow yourleadership skills, to change
your mindset, and to clarifyyour goals so you advance your
career. You can find thisepisode wherever you listen to
(20:14):
podcasts. Until next time, youcould check out more resources
at finance leader academy.comand sign up for my weekly
updates in don't miss an episodeof the show. And now go lead
your team. And I'll see you nexttime. Thank you
Hi, this is Steven McLean and the finance
leader podcast. This is bonusepisode number 57. I hope you're
having a great week and gettinglots done and accomplishing
much. I also hope you're leaningin with your teams to make a
positive difference. What canyou do better to make a positive
difference? Team engagement is anecessity, you probably have all
(00:21):
types of team members from thehigh performer overachiever to
the loyal person whom you cancount on, no matter what, to the
one who gets it done just beforethe deadline to the one who does
the bare minimum to keep theirjob to the one with the daily
drama that you have to dealwith. We have all types on our
teams. If your team is quiet, itdoesn't mean things are
(00:44):
necessarily going well. You haveto engage with them and
continually be assessing whereyou can affect positive change
and ensure that work continuesto be done. At a high level, do
spot checks of work and enforcevery high standards, speak with
confidence and know how to dothe tasks of the team very well.
(01:04):
Also Talk respectfully anddocument carefully all actions
and issues, both positive andnegative, recognize great
behavior and results and correctany negative behavior and coach
through anything less thanfavorable results, document the
good and the bad. So how shouldyou engage with your team to
(01:25):
make them better, to create abetter work environment and to
foster a greater workexperience? Now here are a few
areas to consider. Number oneresourcing, does your team have
the tools and resources to dotheir job? I'm not talking about
platinum plated pool solutions.
But do they have what areasonable person would need to
accomplish their job to a highdegree without frustration? Do
(01:46):
the assessment and ask your teamwhat they may be missing? Or if
something needs to be fixed,coordinate and request the
necessary resources that may bemissing and replace resources
that are no longer workingproperly? This includes
facilities also, number twotraining is there a training
gap? With what they're beingasked to do? Do you need to
(02:09):
coordinate for or develop newtraining to address any gaps in
understanding request trainingfunds for courses if that will
help and also develop some inhouse solutions to close the gap
number three new process orpolicy in efficiencies
development, sometimes withchange or with new requirements.
It may require a policy orprocess update or a new approved
(02:31):
efficiency? Have the taskrequirements changed so much
that requires a policy update?
Create an efficiency or adopt apolicy change so that your team
does not adopt a shortcut toovercome an issue which would
then bring in additional risk.
This is a great discussionpoint. Do you know the
difference between anestablished efficiency versus
when someone takes a shortcut? Ashortcut does not address the
(02:55):
apparent risk and the processyour team member has chosen to
perform and efficiency whendevelop properly will always
address and minimize the riskinvolved. Number four how to
address concerns. Does your teamfeel like they can address a
concern with you? Howapproachable Are you? Leadership
is about approachability andlistening just lend an ear to
(03:16):
listen about concerns it willmake a huge difference. Number
five, culture and environmentdoes your team culture foster
trust and high growthachievement? What can you do
differently to create a culturewhere the team feels valued and
believes they can win? Numbersix improved communication.
Communication is key tounderstanding improved
(03:39):
communication combined with highintegrity and great character
leads to more trust. When wecommunicate clearly our intent,
the purpose, our values, and thevision. And then we live up to
what we have communicated. Thatshows your team that your word
means a lot. share relevantinformation up front always and
seven create opportunities foradvancement. As leaders we
(04:01):
should create and provideopportunities for our team
members to excel so they canadvance in their careers.
Challenge your team members sothey can show off their
potential for greaterresponsibility. reward those who
outperform the standard. Teamengagement is an everyday task
and an everyday emphasis so yourteam knows you care and that
they matter that they areappreciated, that you're sharing
(04:22):
key information, and that theycan get opportunities to prove
themselves and for growth anddevelopment. I will cover more
of this in an upcoming episode.
When you get a chance pleasecheck out finance leader Academy
I offer a course called advanceyour career. I added a link to
the show notes so you canpreview this course. This week I
(04:43):
want to share an encore episodewith you episode 79 create a
more positive work environmentfor your team. Can your team
members thrive in their currentwork environment? As leaders we
have standards to uphold tasksto get done and a strategy to
execute but do our team membersbelieve If they are being
treated well, are their voicesheard? And do they have
(05:04):
opportunities for growth anddevelopment? The outline for
this episode is number one, areyour team members thriving?
Number two, what would your teamsay about you anonymous survey?
Number three? Are you helpingyour team members to grow and
win? And finally for what canyou do to create a more positive
environment? Please enjoy thisencore Episode Episode 79.
(05:26):
Create a more positive workenvironment for your team.
Season 14 would debut on April18. Thank you.
Can your team members thrive intheir current work environment?
As leaders we have standards touphold tasks to get done, and a
(05:49):
strategy to execute. But howwell do our team members believe
they are treated? Are theirvoices heard? And do they have
opportunities for growth anddevelopment? How much time do
you invest in your team members?
When you lead a team, you havemore responsibility than only
completing tasks on the list toless people who are looking to
you to help them accomplishtheir goals and help them to
(06:11):
have a daily positiveexperience.
The greatest responsibility wehave is to grow other leaders.
And we do that by creating anenvironment of support, learning
and development. Please enjoythe episode. Welcome to the
finance leader podcast whereleadership is bigger than the
numbers. I am your host, StephenMcLean. This is the podcast for
(06:35):
developing leaders in financeand accounting. Please consider
following me on Twitter,Facebook, Instagram, and
LinkedIn. My usernames and thelinks are in this episode's show
notes. And also, please join theFacebook group I have for this
podcast community. Thank you.
This is episode number 79. Andnow we'll be talking about how
(06:56):
leaders should be creating apositive environment for their
teams. And I'll highlight thefollowing topics. Number one,
are your team members thriving?
Number two? What would your teamsay about you in an anonymous
survey? Number three? Are youhelping your team members to
grow? And when? And for? Whatcan you do to create a more
(07:19):
positive environment? DenisWaitley said, Don't dwell on
what went wrong. Instead, focuson what to do next, spend your
energies on moving forwardtoward finding the answer. Now,
what would your team say aboutyou in a completely anonymous
survey? Would they say you careabout them? That you want them
(07:42):
to win? That you are setting theright example of behavior,
ethics and humility? Do yourteam members want to emulate you
and become you? Or do theyrevile you? Are your team
members merely surviving youevery day? Or are they thriving
under your leadership, and areexcited to start the day with
you in the lead? As the leaderwe set the conditions for
(08:05):
success, we have the duty tocommunicate clearly what we
expect. And then also to leadethically and to set the right
example with our own behaviorand actions and how well we
treat others. Also, how are weperforming on a daily basis? Are
we completing our duties to ahigh level of performance, I
(08:27):
have served under many differenttypes of leaders from the mean
and uncaring to the weak andhave no real idea of where they
want to go to the incrediblyselfish and who wanted to steal
the organization to ensure theirown success without caring what
happened to everyone else. But Ialso had some incredible leaders
who set the right example, whocared about my own career, who
(08:50):
ensured we were properlyresourced, who gave us enough
room to do our jobs and wereavailable if we needed to ask
for help. The best I have servedunder had a few special
characteristics. They carefullyplanned how involved they were
in my day. Not too much, not toolittle. They coached and only
(09:11):
directed when they had to. Theyallowed me to be me and let me
get the work done. My way. Wherewe agreed upon was the
expectation. These were balancedin their approached. They held
people accountable, but alsowere deeply committed and how
they coached you to achieve it.
They got out of the way whenthey needed to. They understood
(09:31):
a situation before judging andthey treated people fairly and
they preserved everyone'sdignity. Even when having tough
conversations aroundperformance. There are required
duties we need to be doing asleaders. How do you set
expectations? How do you holdpeople accountable and also show
genuine concern for your teammembers growth. We should want
(09:53):
our team members to do betterthan just survive the work day
each day. They should be in factthriving. You can have the tough
conversations withoutcommunicating that you are only
showing up to ensure you lookgood. So your career flourishes,
but that nothing great happensfor your team. Here is the test.
If the work your team is doingwill elevate your own standing,
(10:16):
and your team members are notreaping the same benefits from
their own work, then there is animbalance and you have not done
enough to care for your team.
Have your team members receivedappropriate raises promotions,
recognition, company awards,more opportunities, and anything
else that is deserved. So theircareers move forward to if you
(10:41):
are getting all these and youmove ahead and no one else is
moving also, then something iswrong, there is an imbalance you
as the leader have failed. Ibelieve that a leader who is
treating their team membersfairly and holding everyone
accountable to the samestandard, we'll have no issues
on those typical surveys. And wedon't lead for great survey
(11:03):
results we lead so we can make apositive difference for the
people on our team. And then thesurveys will not be an issue.
Leaders often get confused onthe balance between being
approachable, and ensuring theteam achieves a high level of
excellence. You can get the workdone without abusing the entire
team. This always starts withhow we approach leadership. You
(11:25):
don't have to be a peoplepleaser. And no, you don't have
to act toxic. Those are twoextremes. We are looking for you
to be a coach and a mentor. Andthese are two different roles
you need to play and not at thesame time. And I don't want you
to base your leadership onsurveys. We should always be
doing the right thing regardingleadership. treat everyone
(11:47):
fairly and with dignity andshare you're helping your team
members to win and that theyhave opportunities to grow. Are
they resource properly? Do theyhave the tools to do well? Are
you helping them see where theycan improve? Are you waiting to
judge a situation so you can getall the information first, I
don't want to see leadersoperating in the extremes. One
(12:10):
is a people pleaser with nodirection and one is a self
serving narcissistic bully. Bothcan be toxic, both are harmful.
I want to see leaders as coacheswho can help eliminate obstacles
and to help their team membersachieve their goals. Now let's
talk about how leaders cancreate a positive working
environment. Number one, areyour team members thriving? Are
(12:35):
your team members excited aboutthe work every day? Or are they
only excited about going tolunch? And clocking out at the
end of the day? I know this is aloaded question. And there are
many variables in this. We allhave the one person who is
miserable, and does not want tobe there. But do your team
members get excited about theprojects they're working on?
(12:56):
When they are not excited? Itmight be they are not resourced
properly or have enough time toproperly complete a tasks to
thrive is to go beyond dailysurvival of the workload. And
the interactions we all have tothrive is to grow and develop
and to be better tomorrow thanyou were yesterday. To thrive is
literally to flourish and toprosper. Are you thankful for
(13:19):
your team? What do you do whenbad news happens? Do you fly off
the handle into a rage? Or doyou approach it from a problem
solving perspective? Are yousupportive of your team when
adversity strikes and it willhappen? What do you do? How do
you react? Please assess if yourteam is growing under your
leadership, or are theywithering away? Are they growing
(13:42):
under your guidance? Can you dobetter? Number two, what would
your team say about you in ananonymous survey? I don't want
you to lead based on what mayhappen on a survey. But these
surveys happen. And when anemployee believes they are an
anonymous, truly anonymous, theywill fill them out. Honestly, I
have dealt with surveys fordecades. Sometimes they are
(14:04):
brutal. And sometimes you getnothing out of them. And we
don't get too concerned aboutoutlier generalities. But what
if you see comments that arecommon across the team? Like my
supervisor doesn't care about mygrowth and development? Or my
boss doesn't let me do my job.
One answer may be an outlier.
But if 80% of your team issaying this, you may have a
(14:26):
problem. So what will your teamsay about you in a survey they
believe to be completelyanonymous. Yes, employees don't
always believe surveys areanonymous, and that they can be
tracked and a company can figureout who answered what this
belief does happen. But whatwould they say about you? Are
you growth oriented? Do you givecredit? Do you only care about
(14:48):
yourself? Do you invest in yourteam? This feedback is very
important. So what will they sayabout you and what can you do
differently? Number three, areyou helping your team members to
grow and win. One greatprivilege we have is that we can
eliminate obstacles for ourteam, we get to resource them,
(15:08):
and can set the conditions forsuccess so that we can help them
win and achieve their goals.
Unfortunately, we do have absentleaders who give little
direction, who don't coach, andwho don't create a pathway for
success. These are the leaderswho stay in their office that's
both physical and virtualoffice, and then embark just
figure it out. I am a believerand figure it out up to the
(15:30):
point where the leader isfailing to do their basic
responsibilities. I see leadersbragging this as their
philosophy. But they have donenothing to really lead because
their team has to go around themand no, their leader is not
there for them. These are absentleaders and are among the
weakest and most hated of all,they will never be there for you
(15:51):
to solve an issue or to resourcea problem properly, your team
will figure it out every timeand you will become more
irrelevant every day, if youjust use the quote unquote,
figured out philosophy. So thebig question is, what are you
going to do to help your teamwin up to the point where you
don't do the work for them? Butyou are creating the conditions?
(16:14):
So they do when? How are youcreating the conditions for
success? Number four, what canyou do to create a more positive
environment? Are you showinggenuine interest in your team
members? Or are you using themto elevate your own career? This
is a huge deal. When we lead ateam or a department or an
organization, what your team isdoing can decide your own fate,
(16:37):
your own career path, and whatyou get to do next, that is a
fact. What are you doing to helpyour own team to thrive and grow
as you also grow and get betteropportunities. I would like for
leaders to create an environmentof growth and opportunity be
open to helping your team reacha goal to improve a skill and to
(16:57):
develop a talent that may seemout of reach right now have a
philosophy that fosters andpromotes learning and wanting to
become better today than we wereyesterday. It is also an
environment with no favoritism.
And for accountability for thosewho are not pulling their share
(17:18):
of the task load. Create anenvironment of trust. And we as
leaders need to start thatfirst. I like to see teams who
openly collaborate who trusteach other, who support each
other. And it begins with theleader, we must begin. So there
are teams follow and begin to dothose same activities. Again, I
(17:38):
have worked for many differenttypes of leaders in my career,
you can always tell if you'rebeing used to help your boss
elevate their career, but theydo nothing to help you elevate
your own. So let's not be thattype of leader, recognize your
team, get there more money,promotions and other rewards, as
they produce excellent work asthey sacrifice for the team, and
(18:01):
the organization. And even foryou for action today. Like
always, I love to askintrospective questions to
provoke thinking in action. Whatare you doing to help your team
members to thrive? And when?
What is your approach tocoaching a performance to a
higher level? Are you genuinelyconcerned? Are you arrogant? are
you preaching me a solution? Orare you helping me to self
(18:25):
discover the solution? And areyour team members frustrated
with their work environment? Orcan they accomplish their tasks?
Do they have the tools they needor isn't impossible to get a
great work product done everyday? Please consider these
questions so you can makeappropriate changes in how you
(18:45):
view others and how you helpyour team to win. Today I talked
about how a leader should createa positive environment for their
team. And I highlighted thefollowing points number one, are
your team members thriving?
Number two? What would your teamsay about you in an anonymous
survey? Number three, are youhelping your team members to
grow and when and for what canyou do to create a more positive
(19:09):
environment. I believe that whena leader creates a positive
environment for the team, theywill see the impossible be
achieved. That productivity willnaturally increase that people
will be happy to start their dayand get more things done in a
positive environment does notmean that people are doing what
they want. It means wecommunicate better. We share
(19:30):
ideas, we collaborate, weencourage each other and we help
people to grow and develop. Wealso hold ourselves accountable.
high performers expect everyoneon the team to perform at a high
standard and the leader isexpected to enforce that high
standard. But we also can holdeach other accountable in a
healthy and positive way. Thatis our goal. Next week I'll be
(19:54):
sharing about how you should beadvocating for yourself always
there This is a very importanttopic as we build our careers. I
hope you enjoyed the financeleader podcast, I am dedicated
to helping you grow yourleadership skills, to change
your mindset, and to clarifyyour goals so you advance your
career. You can find thisepisode wherever you listen to
(20:14):
podcasts. Until next time, youcould check out more resources
at finance leader academy.comand sign up for my weekly
updates in don't miss an episodeof the show. And now go lead
your team. And I'll see you nexttime. Thank you
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