Leadership tips to motivate your marketing team happy...
Some bosses give their team birthdays off, some buy employees a cake and maybe a mini office party, others expect their employees to buy the cake. So what kind of boss are you?
Believe it or not, being a great boss can actually affect your bottom line. The success or failure of most businesses is determined by the quality of the boss that leads them (no pressure!).
Over the years I've managed a number of teams and have been privileged to work with some very talented individuals, not least my team at Quattro, but managing and leading a team isn't easy. Here are some hints and tips that I've picked up along the way.
Leadership tips for bosses in Warwickshire. If you follow the tips below you'll soon be on your way to 'greatness'.
When your team feels respected and valued they will feel motivated and happy. Productivity will increase and as we all know, happiness is infectious and your customers will just love to catch that bug!
Lets face it, your primary goal is to market your business, you are not there to make friends. Always maintain an open dialogue with your team but don't get too personally involved and definitely keep out of the office politics, after all we are all adults who can take care of issues without the need for an intermediary (most of the time) and that's not your job.
Now we all have to work for a living (well most of us do) so why not make it an enjoyable experience? People work for you for many reasons; knowledge, learning new skills, money, satisfaction in achievements, helping others etc. Being a great boss means identifying these drivers and helping your team achieve them. When a member of your team goes that extra mile e.g staying late for that all important deadline;
a. Show them that you noticed
b. Show them that it was appreciated by rewarding their hard work e.g. a morning or afternoon off.
Do it well and you'll put right a whole host of typical staff issues like moral, loyalty and reliability. A boss who loves their team is loved by their team.
Whether it's an innovative idea, time saving strategy or a concern; your employee deserves to be heard. Arrange a time of the day when you can give them your undivided attention and just LISTEN.
Find out each of your employees unique talents, what they enjoy doing, along with what they have a particular flair for. This will increase job satisfaction, confidence and productivity. Encourage learning, trying new things and push personal limits. Encourage feedback, innovation and creativity.
There's no point in being an ostrich about it, if something needs sorting, just get on with it. If it relates to a person, be calm, kind but clear and firm. Explain the expectations moving forward and ensure everyone knows what is expected of them. Then move on.
A great manager creates a team that can work well as a unit. Identify individual skill sets that complement one another and create teams that can collectively achieve more than the individuals working in isolation. You'll find that employees that work in well put together teams also gain much more enjoyment from their jobs..
Once a task has been passed over to a member of your team DO NOT MICRO-MANAGE. This crushes confidence and moral. You need to empower your team to make their own decisions.They might approach things differently than you but that doesn't mean it's not as good. Show them that you value their opinion and input. If you've trained them well then trust that they will act in the best interests of you and your company.
Don't be threatened by a particularly knowledgeable or skilled member of your team, encourage them and see their knowledge as an opportunity for you to learn from them. If there are gaps in your team's knowledge e.g. digital marketing training then it's your job to address this gap and empower them.
Motivate your marketing happy by equipping them with the training they need.
As well as providing marketing support for our clients, we also offer on-site training.
A great boss doesn't ask anyone to do anything that they wouldn't do themselves. When your team sees their boss working hard then it will give them the drive to work hard too, increasing integrity and trust in each other. Maintain a positive attitude, be patient (training a team takes time).
Don't just assume that your team knows what and how to action a task. Give them the training that they need both from inside the company and externally. Regularly give feedback on performance (whether informally or via formal appraisal). It should be both positive as well as critical. A great boss recognises effort as well as achievement. Set clear expectations and goals so everyone knows where they stand and have something to work towards.
You're bound to 'gel' better with some people more than others, but remain professional, fair and impartial at all times.
Some people have a natural flair for leadership, motivating and inspiring others. Identify, harness and nurture this 'greatness' with management classes and seminars, along with self assessment. Good team leaders and managers are hard to find, so when you identify one, maximise your opportunity to develop them.
Please share your story...the best critics of course are your team!
PHOTO CREDIT: Cake image courtesy of bplanet at freeDigitalPhotos.net.