How you can get your team to help you even more

20 May 2021 Virginia Brookes

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​You would be surprised how often your team is prepared to do that little bit more when you need them to, and I think over the last 12 or so months, many of us have seen this, including myself! I find that my team have done whatever has been needed to push through, and they are still doing it today – how do you think we achieve this?

1.It is sometimes as simple as saying thank you and meaning it! We are human beings, and we like to be acknowledged positively and like to feel appreciated – a simple and genuine thank you can go a long way. Take it one step further, sometimes a gift voucher for a job well done is worth more than a bonus they get taxed on – a visa voucher or a gift card will allow them to treat themselves to something – your way of saying an extra special thank you!

2.Empower your team to make decisions for themselves rather than micromanaging. If you have trust in your team (and if you don’t, why do you have them?), you need to empower them to make decisions on their own ( within reason) by allowing them to step up and show what they are capable of doing.

3.Train, train, train – keep your team engaged and growing all the time with ongoing training, this will allow them to expand their knowledge and skillset, and they will feel confident in stepping up to take on more when they know more.

4.Promote from within. There is nothing more demoralising for a team that has gone above and beyond and has done a brilliant job then you look externally for someone to take on a role they could potentially do. Always look from within your team; this allows your team to see that hard work pays off and doesn’t go unnoticed! People try even harder when you have given them a chance compared to someone who has been given a new job from external areas.

5.Above all, create a workplace, a culture and a real team environment where people genuinely have each other's backs. When you have a high performing team who love where they work, love the people they work with, and where hard work is acknowledged, people are more inclined to step up and help not just you but their colleagues.