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Team
Expectations
Leadership
in a non-team work environment is a top down structure where rules, not
principles, govern participation. In
a team culture, leaders, guided by their principles of involvement, work
to help team members find a level of confidence, trust, and cooperation
so that they can achieve high levels of production.
Leaders then can’t rely exclusively on pressure, rules, and
punishments to inspire a coordinated work team.
Rather they must become principled leaders who set performance
expectations that allow the team to take responsibility for achieving
success. Below are five
expectation guidelines to channel the relationship between the team
leader and team members:
Expect
team members to be contributors.
This means that the leader will have to nurture a team
environment that builds the confidence and trust levels of team members.
Team members must believe that they can express diverse opinions without
reprisal; that they can make mistakes without feeling diminished; and
that they will be valued for their achievements.
Expect
team members to communicate with one another.
Team members must first learn that open communication is valued
and then they must be given a forum for constructive communication.
They need to understand that they must take the responsibility to
communicate to get things done, improve procedures, work out issues, and
deal with changing conditions.
Expect
team members to cooperate. Leaders
must help employees appreciate what a team is and what it can achieve
when it works. Team members
need to realize that coordinated work is more productive than a string
of individual actions. Leaders
should help team members generate working agreements amongst themselves.
Expect
team members to problem solve. Team
members must learn that they are active players who focus on getting
things done correctly and efficiently.
This means that leaders must help the team articulate issues;
stay focused on the problem, not personalities; and find a common
language to deal with change.
Expect
team members to be learners.
Leaders need to create a work culture where team members share
expertise, train new hires, cross train, and, ultimately, understand
that continuous learning is an organizational value. |
