PRLA Summer 2019

Summer 2019 • PENNSYLVANIA RESTAURANT & LODGING matters •  17 Aspire Bring the goal to life by helping team members personally connect to it. Give them hope and a reason to believe that their collective efforts can achieve the task. The seeds of this action begin when you form your team and connect with them emotionally, but aspirations need to be reinforced again and again. By continually reminding people of the meaning and consequences of their work, you reinforce their dedication to the goal. Assume Give your team the space, resources, and confidence to do their jobs. Here is where many leaders make their first mistake. They assume that their teammates are not (pick one) good enough, skilled enough, focused enough, committed enough, or tenacious enough. Giving your people the room to start the process of achieving the goal begins a very important next phase in building a deeper level of trust with them. Assess Initiate performance assessments frequently and transparently to avoid surprises and unify the team. Here let me emphasize the word team because that’s the appropriate unit of analysis when assessing your teammates’ work. If the assessment is focused solely on individual contributions and progress, you may be inspiring fear and distrust, which shuts down creativity, candor, and true progress. Assure Encourage and reassure your team of their purpose, progress, and perspective; help team members overcome their fears and doubts. Your job as the team leader is to hear your team’s doubts and concerns, but then help them reframe these challenges in a positive manner. The team leader must be able to provide continual assurance that the team’s efforts matter and contribute to achievement. ➔