Three steps for a leader to work with someone that is not being collaborative:
Step 1: "I observed" - in a private setting, describe what was seen by the leader, avoiding hearsay.
Step 2: "Help me understand" - Stepanek said this technique even works great with kids.
Step 3: "Here's how I would like you to handle this in the future" - give a correct approach to take.
3. Build team confidence
If someone does not believe a team will work, they pull back some. Stepanek believes confidence comes from mission clarity, which leads to commitment, ultimately delivering higher performance.
Four ways to build team confidence: Keep everyone in the loop, exhibit trust, assign responsibility and share success stories. Stepanek really likes when teams "celebrate the wins."
4. Manage priorities
The no. 1 complaint of team members is that leaders aren't good at managing priorities, Stepanek says. "Determine priorities or they will all define it in their own way." Or worse, everything becomes a priority.
"Communications is really what it is all about," stated Stepanek. If there is a change in the direction, let the team know right away so everyone is on the same page.
5. Demonstrate competence
"You have to get into the present and look at current problems. You need to be competent enough to do that," he said. The credibility needs to be achieved on the inside and for outsiders, too.
6. Manage performance
There are two dimensions of performance: role performance and collaborative behavior. Stepanek noted this can be the second biggest complaint of team members. When issues arise, take these steps: review the specific performance issue at the time it happens, do research and ask questions, and lastly describe a desired outcome or behavior.
Mike Byrnes founded Byrnes Consulting to provide consulting services to help advisors become even more successful. His expertise is in business planning, marketing strategy, business development, client service and management effectiveness, along with several other areas. Read more at www.byrnesconsulting.com.