Are you Feeling Frustrated with your Team as a Leader? Ask Yourself this…
Here are 5 questions to ask yourself as a leader if you find yourself frustrated with your corporate team.
Being a leader will always be challenging. This is especially true while stress and burnout continue to plague corporations. A leader must undertake the constant mental strain to push their own work forward and to ensure that a team’s projects are being delivered to a specific corporate standard. Unfortunately, feeling extra judgemental about your work can be normal.
Even in the healthiest corporate culture, frustration still exists at the managerial level. Whether it’s frustration with your bureaucratic structure, your team, or pieces of a project that are beyond your control it can be hard to stay even keel.
As a leader, there are some questions that you can ask when you start to feel that frustration feeling creeping in. Begin with some self-reflection before directing your frustration outward and make sure that when you move to resolve it it’s a productive conversation or action that you’re taking.
Here are 5 questions to ask if you’re feeling frustrated as a business owner…
1: Have I been clear with my preferred project outcome?
Communication is the ultimate key to great leadership and healthy corporate culture. If, as a business owner or manager, you’re not adequately expressing your expectations then it’s an almost impossible task for your staff to meet them. Ensure that you’re identifying what success looks like for your team members with regard to projects, roles, and deliverables. Provide support and ensure that your team knows that there are open channels of communication (without judgment).
Before you allow frustration to overwhelm you – ask how you’ve communicated your preferred project outcomes. Take steps to reiterate it and ask your staff if they’re clear on the work that they’re doing. Check-in throughout the project to ensure that the quality is meeting your expectations prior to final delivery.
2: Am I being reasonable for this project?
Take a look at your expectations for the project and ensure that you’re being realistic and reasonable. If your deadlines, resources, or scale aren’t matching reality then it’s time to find a way to ground your expectations.
A stretch assignment may be a useful way to challenge employees but be careful with going too far. Ensure that your employees feel supported and guided through a project that seems less reasonable than others (or has a rush deadline). Don’t allow your frustrations to be born out of your unrealistic or perfectionist tendencies.
3: Have I reflected on the truths about this employee?
If you’re finding yourself particularly frustrated with a single employee, take some time to reflect on the capabilities and positive qualities that they have. Oftentimes mistakes or poor performance may be born out of a tough personal time. If you sense an employee isn’t performing the way that they typically do – take the time to have a direct and kind conversation about what is going on.
Don’t allow frustration to overwhelm your judgment of the employee without taking the time to find out what’s going on. Communicate your expectations of the employee during this time and ensure that they know you are there to support them.
4: Has my standard for employees been consistent?
Unconscious bias can be a source of frustration in the workplace. All managers understand that employees bring various strengths and weaknesses to the table. Being aware of your preferences with regard to employees and their work is important because it can help defuse frustration when it comes to results.
Take conscious action to not compare work but to maintain a consistent standard for your employees across the board. This means that you’re fairly treating employees without having to check yourself on daily and question if you’re being “fair”.
5: Am I providing actionable feedback and being kind?
If you have concerns about the quality of work, ensure that you’re being timely with feedback. Don’t take weeks to review projects before providing constructive criticism (especially if you rushed the employee or deadline to complete it).
If you find yourself frustrated by the quality of a project, be sure to feather your feedback gracefully and depending on the employee communicate in a style that they will hear it clearly. Some people prefer brutal honesty and others can hear minor criticism clearly even when it’s included in a myriad of compliments about the final project. Don’t let issues fester on either end about your feedback style and ensure that you’re providing actionable constructive criticism so that your employees can continue to grow in positive ways.
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Gary Brunson
gary@myclearfocus.com
Debra Rider
debra@myclearfocus.com
574.361.2674
Sustainable Growth & Profit Consultant, Coach, Mentor, and Counselor/Therapist for Business Owners and Professionals.