RETAIN your talented team members
Effective leadership can be far more powerful in retaining team members than a quick-fix financial incentive.
In our previous blog post we introduced the RETAIN acronym which outlined the steps needed to develop the effective leadership skills required to retain talented team members. Here we break down these steps for you, providing a practical approach for you to implement in the workplace.
Reciprocal Feedback
What it means: Leaders consistently provide and seek genuine feedback on how to improve performance, as well as celebrating positive actions/behaviours.
Why it works: Team members who receive feedback on a regular basis understand how to improve performance. Understanding what you do well, as well as how to do better, builds confidence. Confidence is a great motivator, leaving team members energised and engaged.
Note: Feedback must be genuine and provided in a thoughtful and constructive manner. Disingenuous feedback can harmful, a demotivator and quickly lead to disengagement.
What you can do:
- Make feedback a natural and regular part of the team communication framework.
- Deliberately take note of and celebrate the positives, rather than only focusing on ‘ways to improve’.
- Ensure feedback is constructive, objective and actionable.
- Actively encourage feedback. Implement a 360-degree feedback process, allowing for the collection and analysis of multiple perspectives and creating a comprehensive, unbiased and shared understanding.
- Make the shift from traditional Performance Management processes to the establishment of a Coaching program, encouraging team members to set objectives and grow, rather than feel judged.
Emotional Intelligence
What it means: Leaders have self awareness and recognise, understand, and manage their own emotions, as well as proactively influence the emotional responses of their team members. Leaders with a high degree of emotional intelligence know what they’re feeling, what this means, and how their emotions can affect other people.
Why it works: Leaders and managers are often in the spotlight of their team. They are constantly being scrutinised around their leadership methods, their management roles, mannerisms, and behaviour. An emotionally intelligent leader understands this and adapts accordingly. These adaptations influence the behaviour of team members, encouraging engagement and commitment.
What you can do:
- Stay calm – take a breath before responding. Emotional intelligence is the link between an action and a reaction.
- Critically examine how your emotions and behaviour influence those of your team
- Understand your strengths and weaknesses. Having the self-confidence to acknowledge them will help improve and strengthen your self-awareness
- Show empathy: Put yourself in the position or perspective of others to help build a connection with your team members.
Trustworthiness
What it means: Leaders are aware of how their actions and communications are interpreted by the team. Leaders build an environment of trust, displaying credibility, humility, and honesty.
Why it works: People follow and respect a leader who shows integrity and act honestly. A leader that demonstrates trustworthiness will retain talent as they are perceived as ethical, moral and respectful of their team. Trustworthy leaders will maintain engagement of their teams by committing and following through on the promises they have made. Team members will follow the example of their leader and use their actions as a guide for their commitment to their organisation.
What you can do:
- Examine the moral and ethical components of decisions.
- Be transparent, honest and humble.
- Apologise when appropriate.
- Be respectful, considerate and empathetic.
“Truth and honesty are perhaps the most essential of leadership qualities. Tell the truth to your people. Tell the truth to your boss. Tell the truth to your peers. And, of course, tell the truth to yourself.”
– Jocko Willink, Navy Seal (ret), 2020
Accountability and responsibility
What it means: The leader will be accountable and responsible for success and failures in their team. This does not mean a leader takes responsibility for an individual’s failure, but rather failure of the system. Conversely, a leader will celebrate the success of the talents and promote the successful outcome and strategies that led to the outcome.
Why it works: Team members that witness their leader take responsibility and accountability are generally motivated and engaged to contribute to the development of a solution. When the expectations and goals of the team are transparent, and all team members, including the leader, are held accountable, team members feel supported and safe to contribute.
What you can do:
- Communicate goals and expectations.
- Recognise when there has been a failure and openly take responsibility.
- Look for solutions instead of laying blame.
- Hold each person, including yourself, accountable for meeting their goals.
Inclusive and meaningful communication
What it means: Communication is tailored to the needs of the team, considers the challenges and preferences of individuals, and not only invites but values a two-way flow of information.
Why it works: Delivering only succinct and relevant messages avoids team members feeling inundated and overwhelmed with continuous streams of irrelevant information. When leaders practice meaningful and inclusive communication, team members feel seen as individuals, valued and heard. Engagement increases when team members believe their voice contributes towards their position and professional development, as well as their involvement in shaping and achieving team goals.
What you can do:
- Extend and practice advanced communication skills, such as clearly articulating messages, business storytelling, and presentation techniques.
- Critically review the various channels of communication you use: Are they two-way? Are they inclusive? Are they adequate and effective – is there a better way?
- Ask yourself tough questions: Am I communicating this message so I’m ‘covered’, or because it benefits my team to know? Who needs to know and why? How much is enough or too much? Am I listening?
Needs and Motivation
What it means: Each team member is driven by distinct motivational factors. An effective leader needs to demonstrate a genuine interest in those motivational factors. These factors can be of an intrinsic or extrinsic factor or be a blend of both but need to be highly positive and individualised.
Why it works: Team members are motivated when they value outcomes, trust that their performance is rewarded, and their efforts would generate a positive result.
What you can do:
- Build self-esteem with individualised and measured rewards and recognition.
- Empower team members with responsibility and authority to make decisions.
- Give them space to contribute to the organisation.
- Allow autonomy and flexibility in work (e.g. location, hours, tasks).
- Provide mentoring and career pathway opportunities.
- Give praise and explicitly display appreciation.
Your team is your number one asset. Hold onto them, nurture their capabilities and empower them to succeed. Their success is your success.
– Tamara Fraser, Boyle Consulting
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Effective leaders create environments that attract and retain good people. At Boyle Consulting we’ve supported thousands of emerging and experienced leaders develop these critical interpersonal skills and engage their teams. Established in 1988, our supportive and insightful leadership development team and blended learning options help us fulfil our mission – Developing Leaders.
- Talk to us today to find out more about our Employment engagement strategies for all levels of leadership and organisational structure.
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