Managing a team means keeping expectations, support and recognition clear, even when people are working in different places or juggling competing priorities.
When managers are stretched, it’s easy for regular conversations to become task updates or disappear from the diary. People can be busy and still be unsure what matters most, what support is available or whether their contribution is valued.
A regular check-in gives you a chance to notice those gaps early. These four questions can help you make the conversation useful.
The four questions.
So, how can a manager support their teams when they are stretched for time and resources? Here are four questions managers should ask their staff every week. These questions, sourced and amended from Gallup’s Q12 questions, are the most effective way to create a stronger, more engaged workplace. You can thank me later ;)
Without further ado, they are;
Do you know what’s expected of you?
Do you have the materials and equipment to do your work properly?
Did you get an opportunity to do what you do best?
Were you recognised for doing good work?
Why should you ask these questions? Let’s look at them one by one.
Q1. Firstly, do you know what’s expected of you? With start-ups, it's often hard to work out the job description as it may still be evolving in the founder’s head. With established organisations and schools, often the job description hasn’t been updated to reflect the daily activities of the role. No one can hit a target they cannot see. If you ask your team if they know what is expected of them it gives them an opportunity to be clear on goals, responsibilities and measurable outcomes.
Q2. How does a manager know if their direct reports and teams have everything they need in terms of software, hardware, tools, training, skills upgrades - even an ergonomic environment? Often people are reluctant to say anything until they are asked.
Q3. This is my favourite - did you get a chance this week to do what you do best? As the industry changes, often roles and responsibilities morph and shift. Sometimes the things we enjoy the most - and are the most exceptional at - can change. As you know, it’s much more difficult to excel at a task you don’t like. We use Gallup’s CliftonStrengths assessment to help people identify their natural talents and strengths. It’s a science-based framework for contextualising what we are good at, and what can add the most value.
Q4. The final question - were you recognised for doing good work - is vitally important. As contributors, how do we know when we are excelling? How is it measured and what’s the feedback mechanism? Are we recognised for our good work and praised? Research indicates that a ratio of at least 5:1 of positive feedback to negative yields the best results, not to mention boosting positive morale. Sadly the industry average is much lower than that.
In a nutshell, regular check-ins help staff feel valued and heard. But they are also vital for the development of your business and to ensure you are meeting your goals. Sounds like a massive project? This is where we can help. In our workshops, we assist people to identify:
What they're naturally good at and how to articulate it;
How they used their strengths to be successful in the past and how they might be holding them back.
How to do more of their best work
How to best contribute to their team.
When you have these four points in place and running smoothly, you will find you have not only a much happier workplace - but a more productive one.
Do you have a go-to question you ask your team every week?
We’d love to hear about it. Let us know here.
Want to make these conversations part of your leadership?
Knowing what to ask is a start. Making these conversations useful, and keeping them going when work gets busy, is where the practice comes in. If you’d like support with that, we can work on it together in one-to-one leadership coaching.