I work at a telemarketing business and my supervisor is always talking about a team and who is going to be held responsible for what. I am a coach acting as a supervisor and it bothers me that he talks about this a lot, and then does the opposite. Can you help?
The Team Doc Says…
You’ve bumped into the hardest part about making a work group into a team. Doing what you say. The problem is, just as you have indicated, people will believe what you do more than what you say. If the words don’t match the action, the action always wins hands down.
Since this is your supervisor, you may be hesitant to bring up the topic of making sure his actions match his words. There are things you can do in your role though. Too many times we wait for someone else to start when we can be a catalyst ourselves.
Here are a few suggestions for action you can take:
· Ensure that all of your team members know and understand the mission of the company.
· Help team members see where they fit within that mission and how their efforts contribute to making it happen.
· With the help of your team, agree upon and document team member’s roles and responsibilities.
· Meet with team members on a regular basis to review progress and adjust plans as required.
· Communicate your activities to management. Let them know how they can help you be more successful.
Best regards,
Denise O’Berry
aka ‘Team Doc’
