Three crucial elements to take teams from siloed to aligned
If your role is supporting managers to help them lead you may have noticed that the managers who excel, are the ones who build a powerful connection with their team.
A powerful connector shifts their team from a group of individuals to an aligned entity moving towards the same purpose and vision. A connector is engaged in their role and builds engagement with their team, so everyone is focused on building and maintaining predictable business performance.
Predictable performance is where the work is in safe hands, the manager doesn’t need to be across every detail, and they are able to focus on high-value work appropriate for their pay grade. The team is doing what is expected and more, so it stands out as it outperforms similar teams. This means, as their HR support, your work becomes streamlined, less reactive, and more planful. You can focus on the work appropriate for your pay grade, rather than fighting fires created by personnel issues.
The leader who is a powerful connector takes their team from siloed to aligned. Think about the managers you support on a scale of one to 10. Are they at the one end of the scale – not a connector at all and the team is very much siloed? Or, are they at the ten end of the scale? This team is in flow, aligned with each other and the connection the manager has with them is strong.
Being a powerful connector requires three crucial elements.
1. Belonging.
To unleash the untapped potential in teams, a sense of belonging is crucial, so everyone feels safe to speak up and challenge others if they disagree, or to share their different ideas.
How confident are you, that your managers have the necessary elements in place, so all members of this team are able to be themselves, and confidently put their own ideas forward?
Or, how often are you asked by a manager, or a team member, to intervene because of a charge of bullying or harassment by someone, or where individuals don’t feel safe to speak up?
BELONGING TIP: Managers can build a sense of belonging with their team by
- Understanding the requirements for diversity and inclusion
- Understanding the importance of increasing the levels of psychological safety within the team
- Increasing their emotional intelligence, such as self-awareness and awareness of others
2. Trust
To build trust with and between every team member, great managers are consistent with, and encourage others to be consistent with: openness, authenticity, understanding, and congruency within the team.
How much focus do your managers place on creating strong trust with and between their team members?
Are you aware of severe distrust between a couple of team members, or do you find the teams you support are totally trusting, open and authentic with each other and their boss?
TRUST TIP: Managers can increase the levels of trust with and between their team by
- Building a trust framework that everyone adheres to
- Increasing their own capability in the areas of curiosity, having coaching conversations, and increasing their listening skills
- Understanding and exploring what makes individual team members feel appreciated at work
3. Relationship
In order for success all managers must be able to build relationships, with anyone and everyone, regardless of whether they like them. Do the managers you support understand the components required to be able to accelerate strong connections with anyone?
If not, what is in place to support them to build this capability? Do you have some managers who are able to build strong relationships with ease? If so, what are they doing differently, or better than other managers?
RELATIONSHIP TIP: Managers can create better relationships with their team by
- Understanding the balance between their team's comfort zone, and possibly stagnating and their learning zone, where individuals stretch and grow.
- Building rapport with everyone and anyone to create harmonious relationships
Managers who understand and continuously improve in these three crucial areas: belonging; trust; and relationship, are the ones who thrive in the workplace, create teams who achieve unrivaled business success, and go on to have fulfilling careers with team development at the heart of what they do.
In terms of being powerful connectors, let me know how you have rated the managers you support – are they a one or a ten?
Use the tips above as a possible action plan to increase the level of connection among your managers.
Click here to download the first two chapters of Level Up for free and find out how some of your managers may be struggling and why.