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Professional Land Surveyors of Oregon | www.plso.org
FROM THE PLSO OFFICE
Happy Team,
Happy Dream
Five ways to create a more productive workplace
Aimee McAuliffe, PLSO Exec. Secretary
A
s the saying goes, “there is no I in team,” but how
many of us forget that during a big project or when
a new employee arrives? Perhaps, you tell yourself
that it’s just easier to do it yourself rather than taking the
time to train someone to do it right (and/or as fast as you
can). Sounds simple enough until you realize you’re
stressed to the max and angry that everyone else is adding
to your plate by asking for clarification on every little detail
or spending their time talking about how unhappy they are.
Meanwhile, nobody is being truly productive—including
yourself. People may quit and the cycle starts all over again.
Not only does this ultimately cost the company money,
but it cultivates a poor working environment.
How did everything go so terribly wrong? You just
wanted to be a surveyor.
Perhaps it’s time to take a look at what kind of leader you
are. In the past, being the boss meant a change in rank and
authority over how your team completed their job and
spent their time, only now the workplace is changing.
Younger generations entering the workforce have been
managing a full schedule of activities and participating in
collaborative work groups since kindergarten. It’s time the
definition of leadership caught up with them.
Today’s leadership needs to be about cultivating talent.
A productive, happy, functional team not only lessens the
work load, but also makes you look good. This just happens
to be the new definition of success. If you build a team that
is armed with the knowledge it needs to make decisions,
the assurance that bringing new ideas to the table is
encouraged and that they are empowered to follow through
with action, your team will achieve great things, let alone
meet/exceed company goals. Last, but not least—you have
time to do your own job and get home in time for dinner.
IDEAS TO GET THE MOST
OUT OF YOUR TEAM
1.
Allow room for mistakes
Yes, they are a pain, but mistakes happen—even by you.
If you don’t give your team a little room to make them on
their own, they won’t learn from them. If they don’t learn
from their experience, they are going to come knocking to
learn from yours. There is nothing less creative than trying
to think like someone else. Once they are empowered to do
their job, you will have time for yours.
2.
Give and encourage in-the-moment feedback
Many supervisors make the mistake of waiting until review
time to give their employees feedback. The problem with
this is that by the time reviews come around, details are
forgotten and it feels like pure criticism or a reason why
they aren’t getting a raise. Nobody has an open mind to
learn when their feeling defensive. Instead, encourage
in-the-moment feedback within your team. Be sure to set
ground rules, such as being respectful and encouraging,
but if you know what isn’t working in the moment, the
team can work together to try another path. Once the team
is able to discuss workflow issues openly, with the intention
of helping each other reach intended goals, trust and
collaboration will grow. Of course, don’t forget that
communication includes compliments. If you see behavior
you want to see emulated by their peers, reward them for it.
The best way to manage feedback is to offer the positive
with the negative. Start with a compliment, followed up
with constructive criticism and wrap it up on a positive
note again. Try to avoid words like “but” and “however.”
Instead opt for “and” or “I would also like to see.” There is
no point in offering a compliment if you are just going to
take it away with a simple preposition.
3.
Know your team and respect their boundaries
As much as we would all like to think we have our personal
and professional life perfectly balanced, the truth is that we
spend more time with our colleagues than we do with
friends and family. You might as well create a happy place
to work and get to know your team. Understand when they
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Younger generations entering the workforce
have been managing a full schedule of
activities and participating in collaborative
work groups since kindergarten. It’s time the
definition of leadership caught up with them.
