The mark of a great leader is the ability to inspire others. A lot easier said than done, sure, but definitely achievable!

Here’s how you can get the most mileage from your team and help each of your employees realise their fullest potential. 

Know how your employees work

Successful empowerment comes from understanding your employees’ capabilities. At TrainEQ, we use the Skill/Will matrix to help leaders determine the best way to delegate responsibilities to others. Skill refers to the team member’s confidence and experience in the task at hand. Will is their motivation to do the task.

• For employees with low skill and low will, you’ll need to keep them close and take on the role of instructor. This is usually for newer members of the team.
• For employees with low skill and high will, you need to reduce the obstacles in their path and guide them through any delegated tasks.
• For employees with high skill and low will, you need to identify what is preventing them from being motivated – whether it’s something in their work life or personal life – and help them regain that spark. 
• For employees with high skill and will, the best thing to do is get out of the way! Make sure to delegate meaningful tasks and let them take their own approach, coaching them where necessary. 

Meet your employees where they’re at

Emotional intelligence is key here – by being able to understand and empathise where your employees are coming from, you can more effectively move them to where you want them to be. 

Get to know your employees as people, not just valued workers. Find tasks that sync up with team members’ skills, interests and passions. Not only will this help boost motivation, but it can also help produce better work as a whole. 

Ask and listen

How are you supposed to know exactly what your team wants unless you ask? Getting the team involved in aspects of the decision-making process can really help employees take ownership of their work and feel as though they have a say in your organisation.

Ask about ideas and insights they may have, and show them that you value their contributions. This is especially impactful for diverse teams, as multiple perspectives and backgrounds can lead to great innovations. 

You’ll also want to ask for feedback regarding your leadership and coaching style so that you can learn what works and what doesn’t for your particular team. 

Give them the tools they need to succeed

As we saw above, different employees may require different support. If you’re unsure what an employee will need to carry out the task you’ve delegated them, just ask. 

In general, you’ll want to make sure that your team members have the authority to complete the tasks assigned to them without turning to you at every stage. This helps boost confidence, the feeling that you trust their capabilities, and speeds things up overall. 

Recognise achievements

The best motivation for future success is a big win! Celebrate your team’s accomplishments and milestones along the way – and make sure that all the credit goes where it belongs. 

Want to learn how to get the most out of your team?

Our Delegating and Empowering course will teach you what can (and should) be delegated and how you can empower your employees to successfully complete any task.