Remote work has grown almost 50% in the past 5 years and has, even more, this past year due to COVID-19.
Even if your team of workers isn't working remotely and is in the office, it can be difficult to navigate leading a team during COVID-19 or in general. This is why every leader needs to find strategies on how to lead a team.
If your project manager, you might be wondering, “How do you lead and support a team? How do you lead a small team? How do you lead effectively?"
Project managers and workplace leaders need to lead a team from ordinary to extraordinary. But what's the secret strategy? In fact, there are 10 ways you can accomplish this goal.
Here are the 10 ways you can lead your team from ordinary to extraordinary regardless if they are working remotely or in the office.
1. Do Your Research on Management Strategies
As a project manager or team leader, you need to find how to motivate your employees. You need to find out what management strategies are going to work for them and yourself.
You don't want to implement strategies that are out of character for yourself, which your employees will notice. They will see you being something that you aren't.
This is why you need to do your research and what see what management strategies can best fit yourself and your employees.
You find the optimal approach, you'll be able to show your team what style works best for you.
2. Measure the Progress of Your Employees
Another way to lead your team from ordinary to extraordinary is to track their progress and offer constructive criticism.
You want to evaluate what your employees are doing well and what constructive criticism can help them improve their work.
3. Create a Positive Work Environment
Creating a positive work environment where everyone is encouraging and supportive of one another's work is another way to lead your team to extraordinary work.
When employees don't feel judged by their superiors or those they work with, it can make them feel like their work is appreciated. More importantly, they don't feel like they are being evaluated for everyone they do.
4. Avoid Being Demanding
Another strategy to consider if you want to elevate your team's work is to avoid being demanding.
While you should set expectations, you shouldn't be demanding. This can cause employees to be fearful of your leadership. This is how you lead a team without authority because you trust their work.
5. Set a Standard
If you are leading a team remotely or in-person, you need to set the standard. You need to give some sort of expectation from employees when they are doing work.
While it can be a friendly and positive environment, there should still be standard to do the best possible work. Learning how to effectively lead a team to new heights helps you create a high standard that employees want to reach.
6. Be Motivational
If you have virtual team building activities for remote workers, you need to be motivational.
Sometimes remote workers lack the motivation to work because they are stuck at home and they can't talk to their co-workers as much.
As a project manager, you need to think of how to motivate virtual team communication. You also need to consider virtual team best practices.
This is why setting the example and being motivational can help give your team the encouragement it needs to achieve new goals.
7. Communicate Often
Another way to inspire your team and lead them from ordinary to extraordinary is to communicate often. When your team communicates their results to you, it can lead to high results.
You can provide feedback on their work. Communication is essential in any business because it provides transparency between you and your employees. You have a better of who they are as a person and who they are doing in their work.
8. Respect What Your Employees Can Do
Part of elevating your team is respecting what they can do individually. This is especially true if your employees work remotely. You have to trust that they can get the job done.
When you trust your employees without constantly checking up on them, you'll discover that they have more confidence to do the work because they know you, the project manager trust them.
9. Allow Employees to Make Mistakes
Part of trusting your employees is also trusting them to make mistakes. You can't expect perfection.
You have to realize there will be some mistakes and that's okay with you. This can lead your team from ordinary to extraordinary because your employees know they won't be criticized if they do make mistakes.
They know they can learn from them and see how it can improve their work. It gives them more freedom and confidence to do things without hesitation.
10. Encourage Collaboration
The final strategy to consider is to encourage collaboration. You should encourage employees to ask for help from each other and work on projects with each other.
When there's more collaboration among your team, it helps spur creativity and allows for employees to trust each other more.
Now You Know How to Lead a Team From Ordinary to Extraordinary
Learning how to lead a team from ordinary to extraordinary can take a lot of work. It's how you can become a great leader.
However, it's important to remember that it's just not the job of the project manager to elevate his team. The employees should also be held accountable and strive to do their best work.
Overall, these 10 tips can improve workplace productivity, taking everyone's work from mediocrity to greatness.
If you want more strategies for leading your team, you can contact us here.
