Letting Go: How to Trust Your Team
One of the biggest mistakes I find that new leaders make is to try to control things too tightly. Because they are so new to the role they don't want to perceive that they don't know something and the antidote to that is CONTROL. ⚠️ This strategy will NEVER work.
What a leader has to do is trust his/her/their team. The people in your organization have institutional knowledge and understand how things work, a new leader does not.
❎ Although trust is truly earned I think as you enter a new position you should TRUST your team until you realize that someone DOES NOT deserve it. 🧐 I am not talking about BLIND TRUST....trust without accountability is a mistake.
Here is how you can learn to trust your team while holding your team accountable:
1. Meet with your people and be clear on your expectations for their position and for them. Be sure that there is CLARITY for both of you 🤓
2. Plan regular meetings with your team members and follow an agenda where your leaders can report on what they accomplished. Hold them accountable for doing what was discussed and/or assigned to them 📊
3. Keep notes of your meeting and record what was and was not accomplished. Start each meeting with a review of the previous week's tasks to be sure they have been met. If they hadn't been then making a plan to be sure that it does 📄
4. Support your leaders' growth so they can continue to be effective. Give them kudos when they do things that will better the organization📈
5. Honor their special skills by ensuring they are able to exercise them. 🗣
6. Show appreciation to your team...ALWAYS. 😍
In friendship, love and leadership,
