Want a more productive Team? Become a better Model.

Want a more productive Team? Become a better Model.

Team Leaders often forget they work under a spotlight every day – everyone on their Team watches how they act and react to every situation. And, unless the Team Leader is a complete psychopath, Members of the Team then makes adjustments to their organizational behavior based on how they see the Team Leader. If the Team Leader acts like a jerk to others, Team Members will believe they also have to right to act like jerks. If a Team Leader reacts to a stressful situation by running around like their hair is on fire, Team Members will become fire starters and not fire fighters. Like it or not, the Team Culture is, to a great degree, reflective of the Team Leader’s behavior and habits.

Since the Team Leader is inherently the model for Team behavior, it is essential for the Team Leader to constantly display what “good” looks like in every one of their actions and interactions, if they expect Team Members to understand and adopt “good” behavior.

As this article (https://work.qz.com/1279630/taking-a-break-is-part-of-your-job/) by Marcella Sapone points out, productivity habits – taking breaks – are learned by Team Members watching the Team Leader. If a Team Leader takes his/her daily breaks and encourages Team Members to do the same, they will and Team productivity will increase. If the Team Leader doesn’t take breaks, neither will the Team Members and productivity suffers.

The Coach’s Corner: Team Leaders in my Coaching Program are constantly searching for ways to increase Team productivity and I constantly point out there is only one “secret sauce” to achieving an increase in Team productivity.

That “secret sauce” is the ability of the Team Leader to consistently provide the “good” model for Team Members to follow that will improve Team productivity (i.e. taking breaks, taking vacations, exercising, eating correctly, napping). Those Team Leaders who know what that model looks like and ensures Team Members see it every day get what they want: not only an effective Team but also an efficient Team.

I could be wrong…but I’m not.

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