For many leaders, their motivations are different from the teams they lead.
Leaders want to lead, they push themselves out of their comfort zones, to be stretched, to learn and grow, that is their mentality.
Their team will think differently and have other motivations. Some will be motivated to progress their careers and others are okay where they are, they’re not looking to move up the ladder or into a senior role, they’re happy doing the job they do.
Team members who are seen not progressing their career or taking new opportunities are often seen as having the wrong attitude, when in fact they don’t. They’re just not motivated by what you’re motivated by and have other things in their life that interest them.
Teams are not that different from your customers.
In the same way you would research your customers to understand the health of your business, you should also undertake research into the health of your team.
Researching your team should be conducted independently to encourage staff to be open and know their voice is protected. Online research and surveys can also work but you need to be wary and ensure Staff trust the company and knows their responses are confidential.
One of the key questions we ask when we are conducting independent research is ‘Would you recommend this company to your friends and family?’.
This question often uncovers the health of the business. If your staff are willing to recommend, then your company is in pretty good condition.
Other answers from the research may raise some questions that have never been asked before. Overall, the research should uncover what drives your employees, how the team is feeling and what the most important improvements the company and its leaders can implement.
When leaders are engaged, your team will be engaged, and when your team is engaged, your customers will be engaged.
How often are you researching your teams?