Listen, I’ve been there. Leading a team is one of the toughest challenges any professional can face. Balancing the needs of your team with the demands of achieving goals can be difficult, even for the most seasoned leaders.
Our intentions are certainly noble.
We want to deliver performance, achieve goals, and foster a productive work environment where everyone is motivated to succeed. Yet, many of us find that the road to suffering and hardship is paved with good intentions.
Leaders can easily lose sight of the fact that their words and actions have a much bigger impact on team morale and engagement than they realize. In my coaching practice, I’ve seen too many leaders unintentionally sabotage their team’s morale with nothing but positive intentions. They often think they are doing what leaders should do to inspire excellence, but in reality, they are stifling engagement and killing morale.
At the end of the day, our teams are more influenced by our words, actions and decisions than we often realize.
Driving a confident and engaged team is not about obsessing over every interaction, avoiding tough conversations, or making every decision by consensus to ensure everyone is happy.
It’s about replacing the well-intentioned leadership behaviors that are detrimental to employee morale with adaptive strategies to keep the team energized and engaged.
Demoralizing Leadership Behaviors That Zap Engagement
1. Crushing Creativity with Micromanagement
You may think you’re being helpful by checking in constantly, keeping tabs on projects, and scrutinizing details, but your team feels like they’re under a microscope. Micromanaging sends a message that you don’t trust your team to do their jobs. This can lead to a lack of confidence and decreased productivity among your team members as they feel incapable of making decisions on their own. Remember, autonomy is one of the three essential components of motivation (along with purpose and mastery).
Strategy: Step back and give your team some breathing room to work, stumble, and correct. Set clear expectations and provide support when needed, but let them take the lead. Delegate tasks and give your team members the autonomy to complete them in their own way. Offer guidance and resources, but avoid hovering over their shoulders. Regularly check in to see how things are going, but make these check-ins supportive rather than critical. Mistakes provide an excellent opportunity for coaching, but they don’t give you license to take over.
2. Allowing Invisible Achievements with Poor Recognition
We all want to feel valued and appreciated for our hard work, and your team is no different. Ignoring their hard work, successes, and achievements can make them feel invisible and unappreciated. This can lead to decreased motivation and a feeling of disengagement. Recognition doesn't always have to be grand public gestures; even small acknowledgments can make a big difference.
Strategy: Celebrate wins, big and small. Acknowledge your team’s efforts and accomplishments regularly and specifically. While a simple "thank you" can go a short way in boosting morale, recognition of the specific actions, behaviors, and decisions that lead to positive outcomes is much more meaningful and repeatable. Consider personalized gestures like handwritten notes or public shout-outs in company newsletters or on social media. Encourage peer recognition as well, creating a culture where everyone’s efforts are noticed and appreciated. This not only boosts individual morale but also fosters a supportive and collaborative team environment.
3. Creating Confusion with Inconsistent Communication
Nothing kills morale faster than mixed signals. Inconsistent communication leads to confusion, frustration, and a lack of direction. If your team doesn’t know what’s expected of them, they’re likely to feel anxious and uncertain, which can hinder their performance and satisfaction. They need to know what's happening cross-functionally, above them in the hierarchy, and within the team to make sound decisions and operate efficiently.
Strategy: Maintain open, honest, and consistent communication by keeping a regular communication schedule (no canceling when things get busy!). Hold regular team meetings to discuss ongoing projects, address any concerns, and provide updates so your team can be informed about the things that affect their performance. Encourage an open-door policy where team members feel comfortable approaching you with questions or feedback. Clear communication helps build trust, fosters team cohesion, and ensures that everyone is working towards the same objectives.
4. Fanning Burnout Flames by Ignoring Bandwidth
Piling on work without considering your team’s capacity and bandwidth will ultimately lead to burnout. It’s great to be ambitious and care about meeting expectations, but not at the expense of your team’s well-being. Overworked employees are more likely to make mistakes, feel stressed, and eventually leave their jobs.
Strategy: Be mindful of your team’s workload and work closely with them to prioritize tasks and delegate effectively. Reassess deadlines and redistribute tasks, especially as stress levels rise. Encourage uninterrupted time off to rejuvenate and promote a healthy work-life balance. Promote activities that support well-being, such as flexible working hours or wellness programs. Demonstrate your commitment to work-life balance by setting an example—don’t send emails late at night or expect immediate responses to non-urgent matters. A rested and balanced team is more productive and engaged.
5. Keeping Elephants in The Conference Room with Conflict Avoidance
Avoiding difficult conversations doesn’t make problems go away or resolve on their own. In fact, it often makes them worse. Your team needs to trust in your leadership competence to address issues head-on to foster a culture of transparency. When conflicts are ignored, they can lead to resentment, questions about your leadership competency, and create a toxic work environment.
Strategy: Embrace conflict resolution by learning the best ways to address issues promptly and constructively (see my article: How to Give Difficult Feedback). When a conflict arises, facilitate a meeting between the parties involved to discuss the issue openly and find a mutually acceptable solution. Encourage a culture of feedback where team members feel comfortable expressing their concerns and suggestions. By addressing conflicts head-on, you demonstrate that you value transparency and are committed to maintaining a healthy team dynamic.
6. Setting Stagnation Traps by Ignoring Development
Your team wants to grow and develop their skills and work for leaders who make a positive contribution to their career development. If they feel stuck in their roles with no opportunities for advancement, their morale will plummet. Stagnation can lead to disengagement and high turnover rates, as employees seek growth opportunities elsewhere.
Strategy: Invest in your team’s development by providing training, mentorship, and career advancement opportunities. Create access to professional development programs, workshops, and courses that align with their career goals. Implement a mentorship program where experienced team members can guide and support less experienced ones. Regularly discuss career aspirations with your team members and create individual development plans that outline steps for achieving their goals. Provide opportunities for them to take on new challenges and responsibilities, demonstrating your commitment to their growth and advancement.
If you see yourself in any of these red flags, you’re not alone. We’re all guilty of lapsing into these behaviors from time to time. Good leaders recognize when they are headed off course and do what they can to get things back on track. Leadership isn’t about being perfect; it’s about being in tune with your team, conscious of your actions, and willing to hold yourself accountable to being a good leader, even when the going gets tough.
Remember, a strong, supportive, and mutually beneficial relationship with your team is key to keeping morale where it needs to be to create lasting success. So take this opportunity to evaluate your approach, adjust, and remember the legacy of the bosses in your life who knew how to get you to perform at your best. You are an important part of your team’s career journey, and this is your chance to cultivate their potential to the best of your ability. You’ve got this!
Danielle Terranova is the voice behind Leadership Lessons with Danielle.
She has been an executive coach since 2015 and owner of Terranova Consulting, LLC since 2019.
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