Lets see, last month we talked about getting your people engaged, asking for frank feedback and finding out what caused previous high turnover and low morale. Were glad to hear that there is some improvement in your groups attitude since then.

Now lets move on to the rest of our suggestions:

Build enthusiasm and passion for success. Start with your own enthusiasm and passion – your team will find it contagious. Those who are passionately committed to a project will make it happen against all odds. Make small successes happen; these achievements will instill confidence and lead to greater successes. Give them a reason to be excited about coming to work.

Let them participate in the authorship of your strategy. No manager can think of everything, or be right all the time, and you dont want to be making future plans in a vacuum. Ask for suggestions and discuss alternate ways of doing things. They know that you will make the decisions, but they will be pleased that you have made an effort to understand their thoughts.

Help them visualize success and to participate actively in achieving objectives. Goals should be clearly explained and kept prominently in front of the group. Each individual must be given enough information to do the job. Empower them; give them the freedom to act independently within the clearly explained para-meters which you have established. If you can get them to envision success, it is more likely to happen.

Make each person understand that he or she is an important and critical cog in the machinery, no matter how small the job. Explain to each individual how she contributes to the accomplishments of the group. Some individuals feel that what they do or dont do will never have a significant effect on the overall operation. Consequently, they feel no sense of responsibility or commitment, an attitude which pulls down the group and reduces the overall quality of its work.

(Frankly, if you discover that an individual continues to feel and act this way even after you have explained the importance of his position, you should let him go; there is no room for a slacker in todays competitive business environment.)

Make it clear that yours is not just a boss/worker relationship. You are there to provide guidelines, give advice, coordinate and expedite. Everyone at all levels must work together to achieve the teams goals. You are not better because you have been made manager. Everyone in the group is important, and most can be more helpful than they realize.

Well leave you with this reminder: One of the most common mistakes made by a new manager is underestimating the value of those individuals who report to him or her. Such an error can have a significant negative impact on a managers future.

We hope the suggestions we have given you this month and last prove to be helpful; were looking forward to the next visit.