Posted 07/06/2017
Inspiring the Team: Part 2 – The Don’ts
“The greatest power source on earth is a team of people who are energized around a common goal,” Liz Ryan.
Energized. Motivated. Inspired. That’s what every manager/supervisor is shooting for and striving toward and hoping he/she will end up with.
What are the “Don’ts” that can get in the way of creating this go get 'em team?
- A ho-hum attitude from the top. If leadership isn’t enthusiastic about reaching goals and working as a team, the team will quickly lose its steam. Maybe things are going great, so you dial the enthusiasm down, take a break from being the cheerleader for just a bit. Not a good move. Nothing catches on quicker than a ho-hum attitude. Never put down the pom-poms.
- A head-in-the-sand approach.It’s okay to admit failure, disappointment, and setbacks. It proves you’re as human as the next guy and it makes you real. Projecting a fake everything-is-hunky-dory viewpoint when it’s apparent to all that it isn’t, is annoying and will discredit your leadership from then on. But a genuine, “Hey, things could be better, but we are not finished; we’re in this together…” pep talk will keep the team afloat.
- The choice to only recognize top performers and superhuman efforts.
- dcontrasting of teams or individuals out loud. Never, ever say, “Too bad you’re not more like so and so.” Mentally, yes, some of that will happen, but don’t encourage even these silent comparisons as that kind of mental dialogue will feed your actions and decisions.
- The dreaded blame People will make mistakes, be prone to errors in judgment, and yes, some will fail miserably. You will also make mistakes and may suffer from lapses in judgment. It happens to all of us.