Building Trust With Your Team Goes a Long Way
For leaders, trust in their team is key to empowerment and holding the team accountable for results. The trust in the team to perform is directly related to the level of trust the leader has in each individual team member. As the risks associated with a program rises, the ability of the leader to trust his or her team to perform, depends on the level of mutual trust and respect that the leader has built with everyone on the team. How dependable is the team member in providing accurate information in a timely manner? Does the individual consistently deliver on promises made? How well does the leader know the individual’s modus operandi? How important and challenging is the program at hand? By empowering individuals and seeing their actions and character over time, leaders can be confident in their team’s performance when the stakes get high.
Apply Empathy for Better Decisions
Data and analytics are key inputs in good decision making. When faced with difficult decisions, leaders can rarely rely on data alone for good outcomes. Difficult decisions rely on rational data, but there’s also considerations of people and organizational impact. Leaders can apply empathy to gain deeper insights into the impact of their decisions on the organization and people. Great leaders rarely make difficult decisions in isolation. They ask for input from a variety of sources about what their people and customers are thinking, feeling and saying. They involve people who are performing the work. Listening with empathy and putting oneself in the place of those performing the work, provides richer insights resulting in more sustainable decision outcomes. Not to mention greater buy-in for implementation.