Have you ever heard of the quote, "You are only as strong as your weakest link?" It sure seems like the truth behind that statement is far more apparent today than ever before.
Think about it for a moment - if you are a manager of a small team or business and the ongoing trend in this unpredictable economic climate is contraction, how will your team or business respond? How will you respond? Are all of your team members capable of making adjustments and maintaining a high degree of performance? Are they all capable of assisting in areas that perhaps pushes them outside of their comfort zone?
I am willing to bet that all of you managers out there can think of at least one or more team members that would struggle with this.
Certainly, some form of training or coaching is needed, but so often this is viewed as a large expense and not an investment which invalidates the overall need. So, below are several easy training tactics that managers can use today, without spending a lot of time or money.
Genuinely listen to your team, individually - When was the last time you had a one-on-one conversation with each of your team members? If you do not do this, start now. Find out what their struggles are, areas of concern, and what they enjoy contributing to the team. You will find out more in five minutes from these more intimate conversations than you have in team meetings in the past six months.
Plan strategically on expanded roles - Because so many businesses and teams are downsizing, now is the time to think and plan strategically how all of your team members will continue to contribute and in which ways. And if you were paying attention to your one-on-one conversations with each team member, you will discover how each individual member is capable of contributing that perhaps was overlooked before. For example, say you are a Marketing Manager that discovers one of your team members has a public relations background. Because this position was cut due to the recent downsizing of the business, this discovery naturally leads to a potential fill of the void.
Get visual, and get hands on - Whatever new role your team members are fulfilling be sure to support them in as many ways as possible. Our example in the previous tactic was someone who has experience with a task they are being asked to perform, but what if there isn't anyone with experience? Well, someone will have to do the work and need guidance from you as the manager. So whatever the task, you as the manager are their greatest lifeline to learn and succeed. And because 80% of learning is done visually, be sure to communicate in ways that people will absorb information more quickly. Use visuals, walk through the process step-by-step, and discuss progress in your one-on-one conversations.
Don't just tell your new public relations coordinator that the deadline is in a week, but create a timeline regarding all of the deadlines for the quarter.
Consistency is key - All of the tactics mentioned are very "do-able," but you have to be consistent. Doing something once may get the job done for the moment. Doing something over and over modifies behavior and allows both you and your team to reach your goals more easily. As a manager, it is very easy to get side-tracked and lose progress you have gained, so be sure to follow through. Heck, if you are not consistent you may very well become the "weak link" yourself!
Measure results and progress - The proof, as they say, is in the pudding. Now that you are listening to your team on an individual level, planning new or expanded roles, communicating more effectively, and are consistently following through with support measure your results. Set goals during your one-on-one conversations or training sessions that are attainable, yet challenging. Then review and communicate back the results to determine the success of your team and the individual members.
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