This past week I was working with a team of dedicated people who have faced a great deal of change during the past few years. The organization was about to hire a new team leader and they were concerned how they would work with this person. A previous team leader was a micromanager that left them feeling inadequate. Some of the issues they shared were:

“The most important thing to us is the office atmosphere.”

“We need someone who will trust and respect us.”

“We care a great deal about each other in and out of the office.”

“We each know our jobs and are worried about someone telling us what to do.”

That discussion led to a more impactful conversation about how a new team leader could be successful. Once they started to share it became obvious they were describing ways to feel valuable and empowered. The more ideas we exchanged the calmer they became as they realized what made their small work environment so special even while working remotely.

Here are five leadership twists to empowering a team:

1. Create An Ecosystem of Mutual Respect

Every workplace has a unique culture and ecosystem that depends on critical values and behaviors. If a team wants to perform at its highest level, those workplace norms must include respect for one another. What does that look like? To begin with, there needs to be an acceptance of different backgrounds and perspectives. Listening with an open mind and not feeling any one team member is always right is empowering. Of course there will always be disagreements about deliverables or process but as long as a team is committed to showing respect by welcoming alternative opinions there will be camaraderie and hard work.

2. Spell Out Job Responsibilities

Empowered team members are very clear on each person’s role and responsibilities. This doesn’t only mean a listing of the tasks but also each team member’s expectations. Here is an exercise I use when working with team conflict.

• Have each person share on a white board what their expectation is of each team member.
• Go around and explain those expectations to one another.
• Come up with different ways to meet those expectations if a member is unsatisfied. This is important because it shows members are listening to feedback and also taking action.

3. Conduct Regular Meetings With Purposeful Agendas

Virtual meetings can be very challenging in engaging a team. However, without them, teams miss out on connecting with one another on progress, challenges and getting to know one another. The key to a successful meeting where each person on the team feels empowered is by developing purposeful agendas. Whoever is leading the meeting or call, needs to ask for input from their team to make sure all the critical items are included on the agenda. Timeframes for each point should be included in order to keep the flow and stay focused. Additionally, before adding a topic to the agenda decide if the issue is better shared through an email or phone call.

4. Lead By Being Approachable

Leaders of teams that demonstrate they are open to listening to others and encourage feedback will create a culture of speaking up. Some leaders I have worked with have expressed a concern about being “too available” for their teams. That should never be a leader’s attitude because that only fosters frustration and confusion. Some best practices for being approachable are:

• Establish boundaries by stating the best ways for team members to connect with you. Remind everyone if you don’t get back to them right away it doesn’t mean you won’t help them but rather you are involved in something else at that time.
• Clarify that you are eager to hear from them when they are unable to resolve their issue with you. Always encourage team members to be solution oriented with their skills.
• When people come to share personal concerns be compassionate and help them walk away feeling empowered and valuable.

5. Show Gratitude Daily

The greatest gift we can give to our colleagues is telling them how much we appreciate their hard work and efforts. Try to be specific in praise so others know exactly how they are valuably contributing. No matter the position or level, saying “thank you” and offering gratitude for someone’s contributions goes a long way to creating a culture of empowerment.

What leadership twists have you seen or used to empower a team?

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