Great leaders want an organization where people come to work excited and ready to work. They know that the more engaged their employees are, the better for the organization and employees.
We do our best to make this happen. Yet, there are times when we crush the souls of our team without realizing it.
What are those things that we do? I will cover 5 ways you’re crushing your team’s soul.
5 Ways You’re Crushing Your Team’s Soul
1. You fail to interact with your team:
Think back to when you first hired an employee. You introduced them to the team, spent time with them (maybe even went out to lunch multiple times), and checked up on them regularly.
They’ve now been with your organization for more than 6 months. There have been few touchpoints and even fewer meaningful interactions outside of normal working interactions.
Their soul is crushed because they were excited to be a part of a team that valued them and their contributions. Now, they feel like they’re just a butt in a seat.
Instead of hiding in the corner office, take time to mingle with your employees. Find ways to bring back the excitement of when you first hired them.
2. You fail to recognize outstanding work:
Your people are killing it. Profits are up, leadership morale is up, but your team’s spirit is being crushed.
Why?
Because while they’re putting in extra hours, finding ways to increase revenue, and generating happy customers, no one on the team has been recognized. They’re wondering if their hard work is even noticed. They may even see you being recognized by senior leadership and reaping the credit for the work.
If it’s not shared with the team, it’s not recognized. Be a leader who recognizes your team’s impact.
3. You reject requests for personal development:
You’ve received multiple requests from team members asking for a budget line for personal development. They desire to attend conferences, have great books on hand, and be inspired. Every time they’ve made a request, they’ve heard it’s not in the budget.
While many believe personal development is a personal thing, it’s a leadership thing.
The best leaders want to see their teams grow. They know the value of having well-trained, informed, and up-to-date employees. These employees and the cost of training them far outweigh the cost.
Begin creating a budget for your team’s personal development. Be sure to include room for conferences, training, and more.
4. You fail to communicate:
Your team is juggling projects that need information. You have the information. But are you giving it to them?
There’s a good chance you’re not. And this is crushing their souls. They feel the heavy weight to get the job done but don’t feel they have the information to accomplish it.
Find ways to communicate again and again what needs to be done. Despite how you feel about it, you can’t overcommunicate. Communicate, and then communicate more.
5. You are too present:
Your people want you to be there for them, but they don’t want an overbearing boss. They want someone who pops in, checks in, and makes things happen.
You cannot be a helicopter leader (you probably hated having a helicopter parent; don’t be a helicopter leader). You must be a leader who is there when needed and then fade into the background.
