7 keys to leading a winning (and fully engaged) team

Is it possible we have employee engagement backwards?

Leaders want higher employee engagement because engaged employees perform better, and higher performing employees deliver better results.

But what if we flipped this around and focused more directly on helping our teams win?

In my experience, being a part of a high performing, winning team is a pretty great place to be. Doing excellent work with other people, making a difference, and seeing the results of your efforts is an amazing feeling.

If you think about it this way, performing at a high level and delivering great results is not only what leaders want - it’s what our teams want too.

So rather than focusing on engagement, let’s help our teams focus their talents and efforts on something worth winning and then help them make it happen.

What does this look like?

1. Having an inspiring team purpose that clearly explains why your company or customers cannot succeed without your team’s success. Create this with your team.

2. Having areas of contribution and ownership for every member of the team with well-defined individual outcomes (aka goals) that are essential to the team’s success.

3. Having clear success measures for everyone’s work so they can review their own progress and course correct on their own. Remember they want to hit the target too. Help them do so.

4. Equipping your team for success. This includes the clear goals and success measures listed above, training, the right tools, AND the time to get it done. Don’t overload the team with too many priorities. Let them focus so they can win at what really matters.

5. Supporting your team member’s success by providing the right level of oversight, coaching, feedback, and other support to help your team members stay on track towards their goals.

6. Fostering a culture of learning and encouragement that reframes setbacks as opportunities to try it again with a different approach and without any shame, blame, or judgement from you or your team members.

7. Celebrating successes, learnings, and impacts on a regular basis. Connect the dots with your team between individual and team efforts and the inspiring team purpose at the top of this list.

When your people are doing something that matters, experiencing success, and learning along the way you’ll have the high performing team and results that everyone wants. They’ll also be a highly engaged team BTW, and a magnet for other talented people.