How to hold your team accountable to their goals, without micromanaging.
Raise your hand if you’ve ever set a goal in the heat of motivation (and caffeine) and then didn’t follow through?
I think it’s safe to say that all of us have at some point in our lives. I know I have multiple times!
We all know how hard it can be to get yourself to follow through on a goal, now add in a team of people? Difficult doesn’t begin to describe it.
So what normally happens? We start to follow up more, zoom in to the day to day tasks in order to make sure things are getting done.
It can feel heavy, especially if you’re a manager and have to take blame for goals not being hit.
Micromanaging becomes a default, even when we are trying not to do that.
Let’s talk through a few tips to keep your team on track - from a distance!
Set realistic timeframes - stop reaching for the stars
Think of it like habits - it takes little tweaks over a long period of time to see massive change.
Are the goals that are being set allotting for an appropriate amount of time to hit them?
Sometimes we can set goals out of optimism (which is not necessarily a bad thing), not accounting for error and pushed back timelines. Reaching for the stars isn’t “inspiring” it’s heavy and feels daunting to your team.
Set goals based on past data - data driven, results focused!
Instead of setting a goal because it looks nice and feels good, look at past data to make the best decision for the team. That way you’re leaning on facts and numbers, instead of hopes.
This will increase your teams confidence in them hitting their goals that contribute to the big goal.
Remember your team is most likely not made up of all type a, high achieving, ice bath people - keep it real, observe the people you have and identify what they excel at.
Lean into their strengths of where they are currently operating out of, not what you hope they’d be.
Spend more time in prep than you think
Is this a new project never done before?
Are there any outside factors that could adversely affect the outcome? Do I have any new team members? Has this team worked together before? All important questions to ask when prepping for goal setting and execution.
Most leaders make the mistake of stepping out too soon, which causes confusion and more time on the leaders schedule doing damage control.
Whatever time you think it takes to prep, add an hour. That’s a good rule to stick to!
The better prepared you are, the more equipped your team is. Which results in less fires to put out and less deadlines to push back.
If you need help with this - you know who to call!
Ask your team where they think they will fail/mess up/get stuck on
A ton of miscommunication and disappointment can be minimized by just having real conversations.
This is also why it’s crucial to have a true connection to your team, and that they feel like they can trust you.
If they don’t trust you or feel like they will be punished, they will hide things from you and not come to you before a problem gets bigger.
Wouldn’t you rather know of a potential problem instead of doing damage control?
“I know I will probably drop the ball here at this point in our goal and foget, can someone support me with a reminder? I will also set one in my phone.” and then, “where do each of you feel like you will need some extra support? We all have to pick at least one spot”
Make it mandatory for them to choose, it will force them into building trust (evil laugh!).
Create a reward system they actually want
Again, ask them what they want. Stop guessing and then giving them a corporate logo tumbler!!
**This is in our recognition and love languages portion of our curriculum - again call us!
You might have to do different things for different people, but make sure you reward them. People don’t stay just for a paycheck anymore, they want to feel valued.
There are so many facets to running a successful team dynamic and a whole area of delegation skill sets that are never ending. Bravo to you for seeking out improvement and guidance - just because of that you’re already ahead of the game!
Being a great leader isn’t a destination, it’s a journey. Be kind to yourself through the growth and frustration - this stuff takes a lifetime! No one has arrived, you are exactly where you are supposed to be.
Cheers to growth and cheers to you!
As always, we are here to support you on your leadership journey.
P.S. Text me with any questions! 864-202-4952
Your favorite leadership coach, Victoria
