Infect Your Team With Effectiveness

So maybe you think you're all that and a bag of chips and that you can get more things done than most people in your organization.  As managers, though, it's not just about you getting things done on your own; it's about you getting your team to be as effective (or more) as you.

I deliberately use the term effective versus efficient.  For me, there is a very clear distinction which I believe is crucial in driving results.

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Being efficient speaks specifically to how fast someone gets from point A to point B.  It says nothing about whether point B is the right destination or whether the action to get from point A to point B is even relevant.  Being effective, on the other hand, zeroes in on the results one achieves in a timely manner.  It's focused on ensuring point B is the right destination.  Rather than doing things right, effectiveness is about doing the right thing.

Consider these top five pieces of advice to help your team be more effective in delivering results:

1. Conduct weekly "what are you going to get done" meetings -  on Monday mornings, meet with key team members and ask them to go through what they are going to get done during the week and what they completed in the prior week.  Hold them accountable for things they didn't do.
2. Reward results, not effort - focus team members on results delivered and encourage them do deliver to bottom-line; don't reward for effort only, because you will be reinforcing that you value effort over results.
3. Reinforce a "do the right thing" mentality - let your team know that you're all about not just doing things the right way but you're about them thinking about what they're doing to ensure they're doing the right thing. 
4. Don't micro-manage the employee's time - let the team member manage his or her own time and focus on the results he or she achieves.
5. Set the example - you can't preach effectiveness if you look like an out-of-control freight train.

Lonnie Pacelli
Keynote Speaker | Board Director | Autism Advocate | Author | Project Management Expert | Microsoft/Accenture Veteran 
See his books on Amazon.