How to Make Your Leadership Team Look Good

Human resources professionals handle a variety of responsibilities, from hiring new workers and conducting training sessions to coaching employees and managing benefits. Team leadership skills are very important for success in the HR field, as managers and executives rely on you to make them look good in front of employees, customers, and other stakeholders. Use these team-building strategies to make your leadership team look good no matter the situation.

There are many advantages to using teams in the workplace, but there are also some disadvantages. People who lack team leadership skills will have a difficult time motivating others to perform according to expectations. Even employees who do have basic team leadership skills might not excel in a team environment. Some people prefer to work alone because it is easier to complete some tasks without having to ask multiple team members for their input. Strong employees will likely want to avoid working with weaker employees, as team results often depend on the effort of the weakest team members. You can make your leadership team look good by creating strong teams and making sure that weak performers are not assigned critical tasks.

Another way to make your leadership team look good is by using teams only when it makes sense to do so. In some cases, a team of workers will be more productive than an individual. Once you decide that a team makes sense, make sure you pick team members who have the team leadership skills needed to succeed. Those selected for the team should also have experience working in a team environment. All group members should be committed to a common goal, as this will help them produce the best results. When team members perform well, the entire leadership team looks good as a result. Jeffrey Ruzicka says it is also important to celebrate the team's achievements once the project is finished.

Offering additional training and making use of nontraditional team-building strategies can also help you build teams that make your leadership team look good. Jo Disney of Officing Today reported that some employers in the UK allow their workers to donate a day of volunteer work to local charities. Employers who participate in "Give & Gain Day" can benefit from the positive publicity that comes with allowing employees to take time off for volunteer work. Additionally, Disney reported that 98 percent of those who participated in "Give & Gain Day" in 2012 said they felt it helped with team building. Allowing employees to take part in these activities can also help them build team leadership skills they can use on the job.

If you have been given the responsibility of assigning employees to teams or helping workers build team leadership skills, you must use the right strategies to do so. Allow the strongest performers to assume leadership roles so that the outcome of each project is not dependent on weak employees. When a team finishes a project successfully, allow members to celebrate their success. Always encourage employees to develop team leadership skills that they can use on future projects.

(Photo courtesy of freedigitalphotos.net)