Setting the Tone for Success
People live up – or down – to expectations. If your communication tells them that
You believe in them,
….You have faith they can do the job,
……….You respect them
…then you are setting the tone and expectations of success. The team will do whatever it takes to get it done and exceed your expectations. But, if you communicate disbelief – you get what you expect. They won’t get it done, or they’ll do it poorly.
*** They know when you do and don’t communicate these things ***
Some Ways to Set the Tone for Success
- CLIMATE: Non-verbal signals encourage or discourage. Think how much a smile or a friendly tone affects you.
- FEEDBACK: Positive feedback encourages; negative comments discourage. When mistakes are made you can either discourage with “Not again! You’d better learn to do it right,” or encourage and build confidence with “Not bad, You might try it this way next time”.
- AMOUNT OF INPUT: Positive expectations freely give information to help. Negative expectations withhold information.
- AMOUNT OF OUTPUT: We expect more and better work from a good worker than a poor one. Discourage with “Don’t bother with that; I know you can’t do it,” or encourage them to excel with “I know you can do it.”
Facilitate Success by mapping out goals with your team (ensure they are attainable). Meet periodically to assess progress. Change goals if progress is not being made (only as a last resort). Offer up encouragement and help – but don’t just go do it for them.
Make the goals visible – letting everyone know what is expected and how the team is progressing. It helps keeps up the enthusiasm and motivation. When things aren’t going well, watch and see the stronger team members come alongside the weaker ones to help them succeed! Encourage it. Remind everyone success is a team effort, not an individual competition.
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