At Knight Industrial Services (KIS), we put a huge focus on developing our people.
We consistently give them the support they need to be successful. Here are 10 tips to set your team up for success:
- Provide them with the right tools. You could have the right people, but without the right tools, your team cannot meet its greatest potential. Have weekly check-ins with your team to ensure they have everything they need. A tool may be tangible or intangible. Examples of tools could be leadership classes for managers or a software for their departments.
- Have weekly check-ins. Weekly check-ins with your direct reports should be at the same time on the same day every week. Your direct reports should bring the agenda and control the meeting. Communicate to them that this meeting is where they should bring up anything they need that would make them more successful in their role.
- Make the company goals clear. Review goals with your team at least quarterly. This sets the pace for the quarter and keeps your team aligned on its priorities.
- Form relationships with your people. At the start of your weekly one-on-one meetings, ask your team members questions about their personal lives. You could also start every meeting with a "personal best" as an ice breaker. Trust-building events are also effective. If your office is remote, there are plenty of online options to consider.
- Have clear expectations on accountability. Have an accountability chart with at least five roles each teammate is accountable for. This chart must be easy for them to reference and be updated regularly.
- Set clear expectations on measurables and hold them accountable. Every teammate needs a measurable to be held accountable to. Whether it's the sales pipeline for a business development manager or production rates for a site leader, it's important to have the numbers in place with goals to keep your team focused.
- Recognize accomplishments. Think further than an Employee of the Month program. Yes, I advise having an Employee of the Month program, but also reward people in the moment. Put together a simple platform where you and your teammates can reward each other for accomplishments on a daily basis.
- Coach in the moment. Praise in groups; coach in private. Coaching is most effective if it's done within 24 hours.
- Hold them accountable to your values. When you're coaching others, relate it back to your values. For example, if we have a teammate who is not adapting to a new process, we help them understand that adaptability is one of KIS' values and is what sets us apart.
- Give everyone a voice. From a suggestion box to an open door policy, it's important to not only give your teammates a voice, but also to listen to them.
At KIS, we have weekly meetings where teammates throughout the company voice their issues and concerns, and we strategically solve those issues together. They are not only allowed to bring up issues, but are encouraged to do so, and we have a system in place that supports it.
For more information, visit www.knightis.com or call (281) 421-5049.
