Have you ever seen leaders who have little to no faith in their team? What sort of results did they typically achieve? The truth is, teams can sense when their leaders don’t think they will win, and this lack of faith can take a toll on employee engagement and performance.
Engagement will increase when your team sees they are winning. And if the leadership doesn’t believe they can win, then why would they even try? Help your team achieve greatness by setting the expectation of winning.
Half the game is believing that you can win. When you're leading a team, openly express confidence in your team and the work they are doing. Praise people for their efforts and point out specific contributions they are making. Create an emotional climate of high expectations.
Ask yourself and your team, “What does winning look like for us?” If you don’t know where the finish line is, how could you expect to win? Clearly define what winning consists of with terms all members of your team can agree on. One way to create a finish line is by utilizing the From X to Y by When formula. These goals should answer the questions: Where are we now? Where do we want to be? And when are we going to get there?
If you realize the goal might be too lofty, adjust the terms of winning to be more reachable. It’s good to set goals that stretch your team, but don’t create goals with the intention of only accomplishing half of them.
In the book The 4 Disciplines of Execution, author Chris McChesney said, “Many believe that engagement drives results, and so do we. However, we know now that results drive engagement. Nothing affects morale and engagement more powerfully than when a person feels he or she is winning.”
Create the condition that will best result in a win by believing in your team, defining what winning looks like, and adjusting goals as needed.
