How Team Leaders Show Support – or Not

For today’s Tuesday Reading, we turn to a Harvard Business School Working Knowledge Q&A – “How Team Leaders Show Support – or Not”– with HBS faculty member Teresa Anabile.

Though from 2004, the findings remain valid.  Professor Anabile’s research points to two key concepts for leaders who want to gain their staff’s confidence:

1.  Perceptions of team leader support are more positive when the leader

     – gives timely feedback

     – support the team member’s actions and decisions

     – recognizes good work publically and privately

     – seeks team member’s ideas and opinions.

2.  Perceptions are more negative when the team leader

     – micromanages

     – provides nonconstructive negative feedback

     – fails to clarify roles and objectives

     – avoids addressing problems.

Think about your team.  Are you doing all you should be doing to build your team’s confidence in you?  .  .  .  .   jim