Understanding your people

One of the most important tasks in creating a high-performance culture in your business is taking the time to understand your team and their needs. When employees’ needs are met, and they feel aligned with the strategy, vision and values of the firm, they tend to respond with higher
levels of engagement and commitment, and are
willing to go the extra mile to support the development of the business.
 
Start by trying to identify what your team members like most about working in your firm. At mid-year appraisals or one-to-one meetings, ask each team member what it is they like about their job. This sets a positive tone and allows you to assess whether they are satisfied in their current role. It also helps to understand which options each employee would potentially like to explore and the direction in which they would like to develop their career at the firm.
 
Try to understand the different personality types within your team. Everyone is different and as such, need to be managed in different ways. Some might be extroverts, chatty and easy to engage with. Others may be introverts and less comfortable speaking in front of a group. They may be more reflective and may perform better when they have time to consider the facts, before coming up with a solution.
 
Different personality types are often suited to different types of role within a business. If you take the time to understand each individual within your team, you can set them objectives that play to their strengths. In addition, different individuals tend to behave differently in certain situations, such as under stress, coping with change or making important decisions.
 
If you understand the strengths and weaknesses of each individual within your team, you can ensure that you delegate to the right people in order to get the job done properly.
 
Your understanding of your people can also be a key factor in retaining them. Knowing their strengths and weaknesses will enable you to create appropriate training programmes for the team in order to help each person to develop their skills. In addition, each team member will feel more valued if management is seen to take an interest in them. All of these factors contribute to job satisfaction, which in turn drives employee retention levels