Bloomsbury Publishing - Lead Others Effectively: How to Motivate and Inspire at Work

Lead others
effectively

How to motivate and inspire at work

A & C Black London

First published in 2008 by
A & C Black Publishers Ltd
38 Soho Square
London W1D 3HB
www.acblack.com

Text copyright A & C Black Publishers Ltd 2008
Cover image Martin Shovel www.creativityworks.net

All rights reserved; no part of this publication may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system, or transmitted by any means, electronic, mechanical, photocopying or otherwise, without the prior written permission of the Publisher.

No responsibility for loss caused to any individual or organisation acting or refraining from action as a result of the material in this publication can be accepted by A & C Black or the authors.

A CIP record for this book is available from the British Library.

eISBN 978-1-40813-427-6

Design by Fiona Pike, Pike Design, Winchester
Typeset by RefineCatch Limited, Bungay, Suffolk
Printed in Spain by Graphycems

This book is produced using paper that is made from wood grown in managed, sustainable forests. It is natural, renewable and recyclable.

The logging and manufacturing processes conform to the environmental regulations of the country of origin.

Contents

Answer these questions and work out yourscore, then read the guidance points overleaf foradvice on how to boost your leadership skills.

In your mind, asking for advice is

a) Unthinkable! Asking for help would be hinting that you are incompetent.

b) I only ever ask others for help if Im completely sure that I cant handle the situation in any way.

c) A good idea, you can always learn from others whatever your situation or abilities.

How much information do you give your team when you set them an objective?

a) Not much really: just the bare bones so that they can get the job done.

b) I like to set the scene a little, but if a job is urgent its often simpler just to give them the objective and let them get on with it.

c) As much as possible. I feel that to motivate a team, you need to keep them informed and involved in what is going on.

To you, the idea of being in a position that requires you to give feedback to others is

a) Scary! I wouldnt want to have to give someone negative feedback.

b) Not very appealing. I would try to avoid being too negative, maybe leaving out a couple of the mistakes in order to seem less picky.

c) Appealing. Helping people to improve their performance is a positive thing, even if some negative experiences or results have to be looked at.

Do you think successes within your team should be monitored and celebrated?

a) Not really, no. People get paid, dont they? What more do they want?

b) Yes, if the success is something extraordinary.

c) Absolutely. Its vital to celebrate a job well done: it will motivate the team to future success!

How do you feel about coaching someone?

a) As long as they learn to behave exactly as I do, thats fine.

b) Id be glad to, but I worry that wed talk about me more than them!

c) I think its a great way to help someone talk through their aspirations and help them set some goals for the future.

Coping with change can be tough for managers. How would you work with colleagues who were fighting it?

a) Id just lay the law down: they can always leave if theyre that bothered.

b) Id change my approach to suit them best. Im uncomfortable with confrontation.

c) Initially, Id listen more than Id speak. You cant solve a problem unless you really know what it is, and it may be that the colleagues struggling with change have some valid points.

If your organisation is going through a turbulent time, what is the best way to steady the ship?

a) Its probably best to ignore the situation until it becomes dire, surely?

b) Maybe its best to make it sound worse than it is, so that any more positive result looks even better?

c) Id try to stay optimistic, but honest.

Many managers today have to work with dispersed teams, whose members are based in different countries. How can you create a sense of team spirit in this case?

a) A cheery e-mail?

b) Regular teleconferences would help.

c) I think its a good idea for the whole team to meet as soon as possible.

a = 1, b = 2, c = 3Now add up your scores.

814: You may not feel as if you are a natural manager, but there is a lot you can do to boost your skills in the right direction. Its important that you remember that you have to take your team with you when you make decisions and plan their objectives, rather than simply imposing your views. Chapters 1 to 3 offer useful advice on the basics of good leadership, setting objectives, and improving your communication skills.

1519: Once youve mastered the fundamentals of leadership, you can spread your wings a little and add extra skills to your repertoire. Coaching others is a growing part of being a good leader, for example, and chapter 4 explains how to do this well. As you grow in confidence, empower your team rather than hold all the power in. Turn to chapter 5 for help with this.

2024: As you gain in experience, youll be taking on more stretching tasks. For example, if the business you work for is having a tough time, itll be up to you to help your team stay motivated and focused, as chapter 7 will show. If youre managing a dispersed team, chapter 8 offers advice and strategies for getting the most from everyone who reports to you wherever theyre based!

If youve just taken on a new leadership role,congratulations! This is a great step forward inyour career. Part of being a good team leaderis, of course, knowing how to inspire your teamand take them with you as you strive to reachyour goals. There are rafts of heavyweightmanagement tomes about this very topic,but a lot of it boils down to common sense.In this chapter well discuss practical ways tohelp boost your confidence about this part ofyour job, whether youre relatively new to itor not.

There are many myths about leadersleadersare born and not made being a prime example,and while itistrue that some people arenaturally better suited to leadership roles thanothers, the necessary skills can be learned, asyoull see throughout this book. It will help newmanagers get to grips with this aspect of theirnew job, and also help existing managers brushup on some new techniques and fulfil theirpotential. Good luck!

Step one: Understand that there are different types of leader