There are thousands of opinions on how to effectively lead teams. You may read one book that has a simple 3-step formula for the perfect team or another on how to best communicate with different people. At the end of the day, there is no perfect way to lead a team. There is no magic formula to make your team more effective. Everyone’s leadership style is different, and every person responds in a different way.
I’ve seen good and bad coaches and bosses over the last few years. Some show great leadership ability, while others lack what is needed to motivate a team/company to perform well. The best coaches and bosses I had each asked this question:
What can I do better for you?
I love hearing that from a boss! Last summer, my boss asked me that question after a week of getting settled into my project for the summer. That one question set the tone for a great summer because I knew I could be open and honest with her about how we could work effectively together.
This question shows 2 things:
- You are admitting that you aren’t perfect. There are many leaders who struggle to admit they don’t know the perfect way to run a team. You must set your ego aside to ask what you can do better.
- You care about someone else. You are willing to adjust how you are doing things to help him perform his best. You want to see her succeed and feel appreciated.
This question isn’t just for leaders, managers, or coaches. Anyone can ask, “What can I do better for you?” This question shows that an employee is willing to learn and grow.
Asking this question is hard. I know that I hardly ever ask what I can do better because my ego gets in the way. I like to think that I know how to do a lot of things, so I don’t ask because I don’t want to realize that I could be doing something wrong. I know that isn’t the right mindset if I want to continually develop.
If you have employees/teammates/athletes who are willing to ask what they can do better, you will see your teams start to operate more effectively. Employees will feel appreciated and open communication will improve. This can help friendships, marriages (I assume), and relationships. It takes humility to both admit that you could be doing better and then to follow up on the feedback you receive.
Ask, “What can I do better for you?”
In the spirit of this post, let me know if there is any way I can better serve you through these posts. Let me know how I can improve. Let me know if there are any topics you want me to write about or guest writers you want to hear from.
I appreciate you.
-JP