Be sure to read my previous article on knowing if you team is inconsistent. Now you’ve evaluated the team that you lead and discovered that they’re not as consistent as you’d like them to be. Now what? How do I help them become more consistent?
I’m glad you asked! Here are five ways to help increase consistency:
Over-communicate
When leading a team, Im not sure that its possible to communicate too much. Im sure that it is, but far too many of us woefully under-communicate that an increase in our communication would be welcomed. When we communicate with our teams we are setting expectations.
The more that they hear from us the more likely we are to adequately shape the culture and that leads to consistency and excellence.
Have a system for development
Often, one of the main reasons a team is inconsistent is because they lack training. Especially in any kind of on-going way. If there is training present, it happens haphazardly and without any clear system.
It’s important that we have a system in place and that we follow that system to train, assess, and create plans for improvement.
Focus on the foundation
When a team is inconsistent, it is best to go back to the basics of what you do. Start at the foundation and then build from there. Even if the team has been together for many years, if you find that theyre not operating at their optimal level, it’s time to revisit the foundation.
So, pull out the job description, the handbook, or whatever introductory guides that exist and review them with the team.
Staff adequately
Inconsistency can be a by-product of not having enough people. When youre people are stretched thin and filling multiple roles, they’re not going to be at their best. So, be sure that you have enough people to do everything that needs to be done.
During certain peak seasons or moments of quick growth, it’s even valuable to over-staff so that you can exceed the expectations.
Inspect what you expect
I’m not sure who to give credit to for this statement, but its so true. Once you’ve delegated and once you’ve trained, its vital that you then follow up regularly to make sure that the job is being done and that theres consistency.
Often, we set the expectation and then walk away and never check back until theres a fire burning too big to be extinguished. Also, inspecting what you expect will help you identify what you need to communicate about, what you need to train on, etc.
Reposted with permission. This article originally appeared here.
Tim Parsons wears a lot of hats, but his favorites include husband, daddy, and Lead Pastor at The Journey Church in Avon, IN. You can find his words online in several places where he typically writes about Leadership, Marriage, and Parenting. He’s been married to the love of his life, Consuela, for over 15 years and they have 4 children. His hobbies include dipping fries in ranch dressing, correcting other’s grammar mistakes in his head, scrolling through Facebook just shaking his head, and overusing hashtags. Check out more from Tim at www.timparsons.me and www.timandconsuela.com.
