We’ve looked at three reasons new managers and supervisors fail in their leadership positions. Lack of training, lack of leadership skills and inability to resolve conflict in the workplace will severely hinder a new manager in their role. Today we’ll be looking at the fourth reason a new manager or supervisor would fail: lack of team-building skills.
It is a rare person who is able to successfully make the transition from professional athlete to coach. What makes this transition so difficult is that for many years, the way this individual found success was by using the skills that were developed and honed through years of hard work to out-perform the other team. And now, an entirely different skill set is required. The former player turned coach cannot go out on the field or court and participate in the game, he has to motivate his team to work together to get the job done. The same is true in business. Just like the coach coaches and the player plays, the manager “coaches” and the staff works to get the job done.
There are certain skills that a manager needs to learn in order to build a strong team that can work together to accomplish great things. But these skills have little, if anything, to do with the skills he or she learned while performing the operational work before being promoted to this new position of supervision. An organization would be well served if it gets its “Coaches” the training needed to be the most effective team builder possible. After all, if a supervisor cannot bring their staff together to work on major projects, they will forever be an ineffective leader.
The training available through American Water College addresses team-building skills necessary to succeed in any management position. Contact us today to find out more about our program and begin developing the skills necessary to be a successful, effective leader in your organization.
