Leading the team is one of the most challenging tasks for you as a leader. Also, realize that your employees don’t know what you’re thinking. They also can’t see your detailed ideas, sincere appreciation, and the work you do behind the scenes to prepare them for success. So all you have to do while leading the team is how you treat them and what you say to them. And you have to watch yourself so that your words and actions are identical. Don’t let your daily comments and directions erode morale, negatively affect motivation, and destroy confidence in your employees.
As a leader, as you are leading the team, you must ask yourself if you have given them the instruments and support they need to get their jobs done efficiently and effectively. Also, you must ask yourself how comfortable they are in their job roles. As a leader, there are phrases you should never use when leading and talking to your team:
1) “Do what I tell you to do… I am the manager.”
Everyone in your organization is respected and appreciated. While you set your standards, you can’t always expect your employees to respect what you ask them to do based solely on your criteria. Therefore, please avoid using the above phrase when speaking to your employees or team. It is considered offensive and inappropriate and indicates a lack of respect and appreciation.
If the employee doesn’t understand why they need to do something, give them more details. Also, help him see how implementing what you have asked him, the team, and the organization as a whole will benefit him. You can also see why the employee doesn’t want to do something they should be doing. Here you can approach him by saying, “Help me understand why you refused to do this job.” Even your employee still says no, you can stress the importance of the task and anticipate the consequences for not doing it.
2) “Don’t spend my time… we’ve already tried that before.”
People add value by sharing their ideas about the processes they see or use daily. There is a good chance that the ideas they share have been thought of before or even tried before. Phrases like “Don’t waste my time” or “We’ve already tried it” can stop employee initiative and innovation. It also frustrates them and prevents them from thinking of a new perspective.
A simple thank you is a great way to encourage open dialogue and ideas. So you can say “Thank you for sharing that” or tell him, “It’s interesting that you brought up this.” Welcome your employees’ contributions and perspectives by saying something like, “Share with me your vision or perspective on how to improve it.”
3) “I am disappointed in you.”
Parents often use this phrase with their kids, making the employee feel like children. Instead, provide specific and constructive feedback. For example, say, “I was disappointed with the work I did on the project.” Then tell him why. “The project coordination incorrectly, and it was difficult to follow through.” Offer help and suggestions for the next project by saying, “For the next project, why not meet and do a final review before presenting the information to the team?”
4) “I have noticed that some of you are constantly late for work.”
If one of your employees is causing a problem, such as showing up constantly late, don’t send a blanket email to the whole team to correct that employee’s behavior. A negligent employee may not realize that guidance belongs to them, and the rest of the team can feel frustrated by being punished for something they don’t do. Also, if you keep emailing everyone, the team may resent you for letting that employee continue with the problem without taking any action instead of addressing the issue individually. So you have to address the situation directly (and confidentially) with the defaulting employee.
5) “You don’t need to understand why we do it this method… you just need to trust that your administration will always do the right thing.”
Nobody wants to feel “marginalized.” everyone wants to feel part of a larger community whose ideas are important and add value to the organization.
The best way to paraphrase the above statement might be, “We considered as much information as possible in making this decision, including input from many of you. We are open to your ideas, but currently, this appears to be the best course of action for our employees.”
6) “You are lucky to have a job.”
Nobody does well in a workplace where they feel indebted to their employer. If it doesn’t work out for a particular employee, the leader must deal with the performance problem and find a way to correct them or part ways with the employee. If your employee says no when asked to perform a specific task, try to understand the problem. Instead of the above statement, you can say, “Tell me your reasons,” or ask, “What is stopping you from doing this?”
7) Why didn’t you do this? “Why” did you do it this way?
The word “why” is a powerful motivator when explaining something, and it allows someone to hear the reasons behind the process or action or the value behind the decision. They can also be a motivating factor if they are used to questioning someone’s behavior. By nature, we always feel the need to defend our logic, beliefs, or values when someone challenges us with the word “why.”As a distinguished management leader, use “how” or “what” instead. As well as using phrases such as “How can I help?” or “What can I do to support you?” They are good alternatives.
8) “I am excited to announce this achievement… and I have worked hard for many hours to get this work done.”
Never take credit for your employee’s work and achievement, especially in front of the crew. Assuming that you created, designed, or produced something your employee did demoralizes the staff and makes it seem like you’re not ready to share your accomplishments with your subordinates.
Instead, take a minute to highlight the employee and teamwork that contributed the most to the achievement. Then everyone will appreciate it, and you’ll still take credit as a leader for that employee and team.
9) “Good job Today.”
A phrase like this is too unclear to be effective. It leaves employees unsure of what they have done well. It may direct them to believe that you ignore what they’re doing and that you’re giving them insignificant statements and “to raise the bar.” Instead, be specific. For example, say, “Great job dealing with this upset client this morning… You showed patience and made a great decision! “
10) “Vacation?… Didn’t you take a vacation recently?… Why do you need to go on Vacation?”
Statements like this from you may cause your employees to feel bad or guilty for taking their leave. Instead, support them by saying, “Vacation? Congratulation. It is important to have a work-life balance. Happy Holidays!”.
Leading the team is to start listening to what your employees are telling you. What are they asking? What does their body language say? Ask a few additional questions for clarification when needed. And be sure to replace negative statements with more positive ones as you lead the team.
-
-
-
-
