You’re a manager with a team to lead. How can you ensure everyone is working together?

Without a vision and purpose, it is difficult for your team to know where you are going. Having a big picture and discussing it with your team members can help you define everyone's role in the outcome, and work together towards one goal.

La délégation est une démarche salutaire pour un manager car elle lui permet de se recentrer sur sa zone de compétences et de génie. L’écueil à éviter c’est de penser qu’on peut déléguer sa responsabilité. On peut déléguer son autorité mais pas sa responsabilité. Comment procéder ? Utiliser autant que possible la matrice de gestion du temps d’Eisenhower. Elle met en évidence les taches et les missions en fonction de leur degré d’urgence et d’importance. A titre d’exemple une tâche importante mais non urgente doit être déléguée.

Working with exceptional people and giving them autonomy is how you can be dazzled by and in awe of their contributions. If you are micromanaging someone to deliver exactly what you envisioned, you are limiting yourself to your own ideas. If you are inconsistent and that makes more work for someone - acknowledge that and apologize. Don't be harsh on rough drafts. Creating fear of judgment in brainstorming phases is incredibly harmful, and setting someone up for perfectionist expectations on a rough draft is an inefficient use of their time. Give autonomy, but communicate clearly, early, on non-negotiables, and show genuine respect for others. That will make feedback and iterations much easier.

Depending on everyone's personality, each person might have different skills, strengths and interests. One question I always like to ask when hiring is: what are you looking for in your manager, and what do you expect of your manager? This will help you identify what kind of resources, guidance and support they might need.

Il faut encourager le feed-back par une méritocratie des idées. Cela passe par une vérité et une transparence radicale. Dans la mesure du possible, instaurer une mutualisation des expériences sur lesquelles s’appuyer afin d’améliorer la pertinence de la prise de décision. Quand des choses peuvent nous opposer et nous bloquer, il faut « jouer carte sur table ». C’est en créant des liens authentiques avec son équipe que le feed-back pertinent devient systématique et fluide.

Encouraging open communication and feedback in a respectful, constructive way can help improve relationships between team members, and created a stronger relationship between you as a leader and your team. Provide a safe space with good boundaries, and think about each person's needs and personality.

J'envisage la coopération dans un projet comme pour une partie de jeu de rôle ou de jeu de société en général : il faut prendre le temps de discuter avec chaque membre d'une équipe individuellement, créer un lien fort, comprendre ce qui les a amené ici et maintenant sur ce projet. Il faut questionner la personne également sur ses préférences en terme de management : éviter qu'un collaborateur solitaire ne se fasse reprocher de ne jamais répondre présent alors que c'est sa façon de faire! Et expliquer à chacun les règles du jeu individuellement. Ainsi, ensuite, créer un collectif et du commun sera infiniment plus simple puisque chacun aura en commun une chose qu'elle a avec tous les autres : la relation avec nous.

Never underestimate the power of your presence. As a leader it is imperative that we consider first and foremost how we show up. A good litmus test is to ask yourself, am I asking my team to do as I say or am I demonstrating what I'm asking them to do? Self-awareness is a crucial skill to be an effective leader. This does not mean that you will always get it 100% right yet it will speak volumes to your team about your character and commitment to success.

Practice what you preech. If you want your team members to be consistent, on time and honest, you need to be consistent, on time and honest. Become aware of your own actions, words and leadership style, and ask for feedback when needed.

Understand the team's strengths and weaknesses. Ensure the team understands the objectives and goals they are working towards. Make team members feel comfortable expressing their ideas, concerns, and feedback. Foster a culture where team members support each other and share knowledge and resources. Be available to the team and be willing to listen to others' perspectives. Make sure everyone on the team understands their role and responsibilities, as well as the roles of their teammates. This helps prevent misunderstandings. Celebrate team achievements. Address conflicts promptly and constructively. Organize periodic retrospectives and encourage team members to share feedback and ideas for how processes and workflows can be improved.

Whether you hire someone yourself or get assigned a team can make a difference, but I believe one of the most important parts of leading is understanding yourself and your team. What is your personality, how do you deal with situations? And what are the personalities in your team, and what kind of habits does each person have?