Leading Teams on a Shoestring (Pt. 3)
In previous Leading Teams on a Shoestring articles, I highlighted the challenges of leading teams while short on resources, and discussed two leadership principles: Curiosity and Trust.
The third no-cost leadership principle is Growth.
Investing in growth and development is crucial for success at the individual and organizational level. However, fostering growth without breaking the bank necessitates a strategic approach.
Cultivate a Culture of Learning
Creating a culture of continuous learning starts with leaders demonstrating a commitment to their personal and professional development. Encouraging curiosity, providing access to resources such as online courses, webinars, and industry publications, and organizing knowledge-sharing sessions within teams can significantly contribute to your team’s growth. Start a learning library (e-books/articles, or physical copies of materials), book club, or an employee resource group. If you don’t have a budget to pay for courses but an employee wants to pay for their own learning – support them by allowing a certain amount of work hours towards coursework.
Contact me to chat about your personal growth and team development.
Mentorship and Coaching
Pairing employees with mentors or coaches within the organization is a powerful tool for growth. These relationships offer personalized guidance, support, and insights that help folks navigate challenges and identify opportunities. Mentorship programs can be implemented at low or no cost.
Stretch Assignments and Job Rotations
Offering stretch assignments or temporary job rotations allows people to explore new roles and responsibilities. These opportunities not only broaden skill sets but also provide valuable insights into different facets of the organization. However, it's crucial to ensure that workload remains manageable and balanced to prevent burnout.
Cross-Functional Collaboration
Encouraging cross-functional collaboration enables employees to work with colleagues from diverse backgrounds and disciplines, encouraging creativity, innovation, and the exchange of ideas. These collaborations can be facilitated through regular meetings, project teams, or informal networking events. By breaking down silos and promoting knowledge sharing, organizations can enhance employee growth organically.
Recognition and Feedback
Create a culture where achievements are recognized and constructive feedback (or feedforward) is offered. It can be incredibly discouraging for people to be engaged and proud of their work – and never receive recognition. Over time, this creates a sense of futility and a lack of desire to develop and grow. A simple thank you, email shout-out, acknowledgement in a team meeting, or celebration in the all-staff newsletter – all cost nothing but can have a significant impact.
Balance and Wellness
While growth opportunities are essential, it's equally important to prioritize employee well-being. Burnout can negate any positives of development initiatives – be sure to consider creating balance, and implementing initiatives to support employees' physical, mental, and emotional health. Flexible work arrangements, wellness programs, and mental health resources can all help support people to have capacity for growth and learning.
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