Does your team bring every decision to you?
Are you constantly firefighting, dealing with issues and being reactive?
Is there a high turnover of staff?
Are staff happiness scores low, or worst, not even measured?
Is it sometimes easier just to perform tasks yourself?
If you answered yes to any of the above, your company culture is in need of an overhaul. A great culture will increase happiness and productivity, create a proactive environment and free you up to focus on strategic aims.
Feedback
Feedback within an organisation is a powerful tool. When individuals feel comfortable giving and receiving feedback, they open themselves up to growth and development. However, if someone is too afraid to provide honest and constructive feedback due to fear of retaliation, a culture of gossip
and frustration can emerge. When individuals sense that their feedback won’t be well-received, they may resort to indirect comments like, “Someone said this about you,” which breeds resentment and can damage relationships.
In contrast, honest, factual feedback, owned by the person giving it, can be gratefully received by the person inviting it. Feedback helps improve performance or affirms what is already being done well. The ability to give and receive constructive feedback is crucial for enhancing personal competency.
Moreover, feedback helps the organisation understand the needs and desires of its workforce. It’s easy to fall into the trap of believing that a few superficial perks, like bean bags in the breakroom or free beer on Fridays, create a positive culture. To cultivate an environment where the team can truly thrive and boost productivity, it’s essential to actively listen to their feedback and ensure that the right culture is in place.
Autonomy
Often, management fears granting autonomy because they doubt their teams’ ability to make sound decisions.
Establishing clear company objectives and effectively communicating them throughout the organisation provides the necessary clarity for teams to understand priorities and align with the company’s goals. Implementing competency frameworks and regularly reviewing these competencies with managers ensures that employees possess the skills required for their roles. This, in turn, empowers managers to step back from micromanaging every decision and action, allowing
them to receive concise updates from a team that operates with autonomy.
One to ones
Most people have heard things like, ‘We don’t have time for staff appraisals,’ or ‘I need to cancel our one-to-one; something urgent has come up.’ Yet, history teaches us through the success of leaders like Henry Ford and Bill Gates that when you invest time and effort into your team, productivity can actually increase.
When deadlines are looming or a crisis arises, it’s tempting to cancel meetings with team members. Psychologically, this is choosing immediate satisfaction over long-term rewards. The brain’s dopamine response—linked to pleasure and motivation—gives a quick boost when we solve an immediate issue. However, working with a team member to improve their skills over time doesn’t provide the same instant reward.
But supporting your team, helping them develop their skills, and listening to their concerns can have tremendous long-term benefits for your business. As team members become more competent, the quality of their work improves, leading to fewer mistakes and fewer situations that require your immediate attention. Regular one-to-ones also keep you informed about issues and developments, reducing the risk of unexpected problems. Instead of reacting to crises, you can coach your team to be more proactive.
Perhaps most importantly, taking the time to invest in your team makes them feel valued and heard. This boosts their happiness and motivation, which in turn increases their productivity.
Competency
A competency framework provides a clear set of guidelines for both team members and managers to work towards. It outlines expectations for performance, ensuring that during appraisals, everyone involved has a clear understanding of what constitutes competency in a given role. By eliminating uncertainties and aligning expectations, the likelihood of frustration and related personnel issues is significantly reduced.
Conclusion
Every team shares a common goal, but individual motivations can vary widely. This is why it’s essential to conduct regular check-ins with team members, establish a clear competency framework, and maintain a strong feedback loop. These practices help managers gain a deeper understanding of their team members, while also ensuring that everyone is aligned with the company’s vision and their role in achieving it.