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Being a leader in today’s workplace comes with unique challenges. From the culture of work evolving dramatically to retaining and engaging top talent, leaders are dealing with more stress than ever. To combat the ever-changing work environment and shifting priorities, it’s important for you as a leader to take time to reflect and refocus for the second half of 2022.
5 Questions to Ask Yourself as a Leader in Today’s Workplace
1 – Am I open to receiving feedback from others, even those under my supervision?
One of the major potential pitfalls for people managers is the inability to receive constructive criticism, especially when it involves your direct reports. But this two-way communication is critical in the formation and continuation of manager to employee trust. Creating a culture of trust continues to be a hot topic in leadership and development because it remains a foundational element of great leadership. Implementing an open door policy in regard to feedback is a mark of vulnerable leadership, a key part of fostering a culture of trust.
How to practice this:
Next time a project deadline isn’t met, ask your team members what you could have done differently to achieve success.
By facilitating opportunities to receive feedback, you may find your communication could have been improved or mentorship could have been provided to create a better outcome. Remember this isn’t meant to be a blame game – look at this feedback opportunity as a reflection exercise to improve processes in the future.
2 – When was the last time I personally checked on my team members?
The emotional and mental wellbeing of your employees is more important than ever. According to the The Workplace Mental Health Institute, “Every dollar spent on identifying and supporting workers with mental health issues yields close to 500% return in improved productivity.”
How to practice this:
If your workplace provides mental or emotional support resources, brush up on the policies and clearly communicate them to your employees.
Set a goal for yourself in weekly employee check-ins to leave a few minutes at the end to ask how you can support your direct reports. Ask them how they’re feeling about their workload, what their priorities are, and what is taking up their mental space. The conversation may be short at first, but continually offering your support and resources will benefit your team (and company) in the long run.
3 – Am I being clear in my expectations?
Ambiguity can lead to mistakes or misunderstood assignments, causing missed deadlines and lowering productivity. As a manager, you are the motivator and delegator in your team. It’s important to clearly communicate your goals and expectations before assigning tasks. When everyone is on the same page, projects move more smoothly and team members are able to perform to their potential.
How to practice this:
When discussing upcoming projects and setting deadlines, give your team input on the deliverables. Ask what a reasonable goal is for the assignment and write it down in a place everyone can see. This keeps your department on the same page. When a goal is reached, take time to celebrate the accomplishment and set a more lofty goal the next time. These clear expectations can drastically improve your team’s outcomes and avoid confusion.
4 – How do my employees receive feedback, and how can I better communicate with them?
How is my feedback being received? Does it help or hurt my goals and my employees’ performance? What may seem like an ordinary or constructive comment could translate into criticism for certain employees.
Traditional management styles encourage direct feedback, but one-on-one conversations are far more productive and effective than lecturing. When discussing performance, a conversation using “how” and “why” questions will feel more organic than accusations or subjective statements. Listening more than you speak during weekly meetings is another way to practice authentic leadership. In fact, some experts suggest a 90-10 approach, encouraging managers to only spend 10% of the meeting talking.
When employees are comfortable and trust you as a manager, their performance and engagement will reflect that. Keep this in mind when communicating feedback.
How to practice this:
To avoid unnecessary conflict, managers often use personality assessments or workplace questionnaires to determine how the members of their team prefer to work together and receive feedback. If you haven’t discussed the how of feedback with your employees, have a conversation with them in your next one-on-one.
5 – How can I improve the dynamics of my team and their work?
Individually, do your team members have what they need to be successful? If they’re working from home, do they have a setup that allows them to be productive? Ensuring your employees can function at their greatest potential is an unspoken strength of a great manager.
To improve employee engagement across the organization, encourage cross-functional collaboration. When siloed teams step out of their departmental routines, the door is open to learn new skills and benefit from understanding different functions throughout the company.
How to practice this:
Find ways for your department to collaborate with teams they don’t usually interact with. Working with others not only creates a stronger deliverable, it creates a common goal and often increases morale.
Using these questions as self reflection is a great way to digest after the end of a quarter or project. When in a leadership role, it’s easy to succumb to the daily pressures of your role, but taking the time to understand yourself and others will benefit your entire organization.
To learn more about how Abilitie leadership development programs build leadership skills through cohort-based business competitions and virtual mini-MBA programs, click here.
