Picking Up the Slack

Just recently, I had an unexpected accident. Yep, you got it, hairline crack to the wrist. Ouch! My horse got spooked by miniature ponies at the barn, grabbed the lead rope for a quick release, and bam! My hand went back and hit the pipe fence.

I didn’t worry about the office, though. I know that my team will always step in when I’m not there to ensure the workplace runs smoothly and that customers are being served appropriately.

So much of our time every year is spent at the office/workplace. This makes friendliness and cooperation among employees one of the most important aspects of a well-functioning business. But accidents that keep you from the workplace can happen without warning, which is why it is so important to plan ahead to make sure that your staff can step up to the plate and pick up the slack. So, how can you find ways to create a successful team that pulls together when necessary?

Here are a few tips:

Define the duties. Eighty percent of anyone’s responsibilities should be spelled out in job descriptions. Twenty percent of the time, however, is usually spent helping colleagues and clients. Create an atmosphere where everyone helps each other by encouraging language like, “absolutely” or “certainly” when asked for help. Encourage them to look for things that need doing and do them without being asked. This is the true definition of teamwork.

Define your expectations in a workplace policy handbook. A personnel policy and workplace handbook should cover individual and team responsibilities, rights and benefits, and what to do if something unexpected happens. Once you have crafted your employee handbook, make sure to check with an attorney on individual state hiring/employment laws.

Be clear with prospective employees during the interview process. What are your expectations? Hold your existing employees and new hires to consistent standards, outlined in your policy handbook. True teamwork demands that all employees are held to the same standards and, most importantly, every individual does whatever is necessary to take care of the customer.

Set aside adequate time for each task. It is not fair to assign or accept a responsibility and then have no time to accomplish the task. Be realistic about the timeframe and make sure your team is aware of the deadlines for each individual project.

Be careful to not overload your staff. They will get discouraged and burned out. Instead, focus on delegating one task at a time with emphasis on a specific objective and timeframe.

Follow up on progress. If you don’t check on your team’s progress, the task may not be completed to your standards. Ask questions about and show interest in your employee’s task, offering advice and help when needed. Recognize your employee for taking on responsibility and let them know his or her effort is appreciated. It is discouraging for a staff member to work hard and not receive recognition for a job well done.

Open-door policy. Manage by “walking around.” Know the concerns of your staff and deal with them head on. Ignoring your staff’s concerns will NOT make them go away! Be positive in your approach and dependable in your attitude. Try your best to be reasonable and most importantly, do not lose your temper! If you respond inappropriately, whether out of anger or insult, your team will almost always remember only the time you were out of control, instead of all the times you did well!

Ask your staff to be there for each other. To do this, begin a staff meeting session by asking your staff to define the qualities of teamwork that impress them. Ask them to think about someone they’ve known in the past or present that represents a true team player. Often you’ll hear: Consistency, fairness, cheerfulness, flexibility, positivity and the willingness to change.  It won’t happen overnight, but eventually you’ll have an entire team willing to step up and help each other out!

Encourage your staff to stand up and lead. Really try to listen to what your staff members have to say. Instead of giving direct orders, ask questions to guide your staff members to think through the issues and come up with their own solutions. Some employees may not want to reach top corporate positions; instead, they may simply be content if their opinions and ideas are valued. Either way, it’s important that the staff knows their voices are being heard.

By following these steps you create trust and respect in the workplace. With trust and respect, your sense of teamwork will grow, while your levels of stress and conflict will drop. And when the unexpected happens and a team member is out, the rest of the team will pick up the slack. Just sayin’

Published: Apartment News Magazine – July/August issue 2013