Methods to Measure the Key Performance Indicators of your Team October 5, 2021 by Belinda EganHow do you measure your success as a leader? You look at the wellbeing of your employees – full stop. But, this can be such a broad concept. How do you actually measure the wellbeing and fulfillment of your people, and therefore know whether you’re leading effectively? Below are some tangible methods to measure a well-adjusted, happy team’s KPIs (key performance indicators). Get Real Responses – Not Canned Employee Satisfaction Surveys Surely in the past year, you’ve had your team fill out some form of an employee satisfaction survey. Considering you probably led primarily remotely, it’s possible that some of the responses you got took you off guard. This isn’t surprising – it can be really hard to gauge the satisfaction levels of team members when most (or all) of your interaction is virtually based. It’s easy to practice a fake smile during a Zoom call and say whatever you have to say to finish the meeting early. So how do you realistically get a good read on employee wellbeing and get ahead of potential problems? You find the time to have an earnest conversation outside of a “meeting” setting. Whether it’s showing up five minutes early to a Zoom call to do a casual check-in or sending a quick email to say hi to your team members individually, it’s important to show up and let your employees be real. Ask them how the week is going – not in a “numbers” or bottom line sense – but being genuine about how they’re feeling about work. Use open-ended questions that require a response that gives you information on their journey. Instead of asking, “Is there anything I can help you with this week?” Ask, “What can I do to make your week go more smoothly?” If you get the sense that your team members don’t feel comfortable sharing their answers in front of others, schedule a one-on-one. The setting of a check-in is just as important as the content. Foster Leadership and Growth Opportunities for Everyone Okay, so not everyone on your team should be in charge of something, but everyone on your team wants to grow and try new things. That’s the human condition – when things stay the same for too long, and we’re not challenged, we get bored…listless…unmotivated. Take a few minutes this week to look over your team roster. Are you aware of each member’s personal career goals and ambitions? Have you seen them reaching these goals or taking steps towards them? What can you do to help foster personal and professional growth for your team? If you know there are team members reaching for leadership positions, how can you mentor and encourage them this week? Check-in frequently on the growth and leadership development of your team. If your team isn’t growing, you’re not leading effectively. Make Sure your Team is Sharing your Organization’s Vision and passion We all need a reason to keep going in all aspects of our lives. This much is obvious. But often, when it comes to working, employees of the past have put their heads down and “powered through” just to pay the bills and provide for their families. Things are different now. The past two years’ pandemic and subsequent lockdowns (and stimulus checks) have given employees a chance to stop and really evaluate their lives. There has been a massive shift to prioritizing health, safety, and personal fulfillment. Specifically, people don’t feel the same pressure just to do whatever they have to do to survive and build a future. They understand now that they can choose to follow work and opportunities that make them feel good about work. So how do you encourage this as a leader? And how do you know when you’re doing a good job at it? You make sure that your team understands and believes in the values of your organization. They need to understand where they fit in the “big picture.” They need to know that they are contributing to something beyond themselves – something they can feel proud of. If it’s been a while since you’ve refreshed yourself and your team on your Why – now’s the time to do it. And I really mean it, schedule a time to do this now. This is one of the top retention strategies for 2022 – ensuring everyone shares a vision and passion for your work. Honesty, growth, opportunity, and shared vision are the four key performance indicators that you can measure to assess your success as a leader. If your employees are “scoring high” on these, you can rest assured you’re doing a good job. Your turnover rates will remain low while employee satisfaction and loyalty remain high. If you want to step up your impact as a leader, join the revolution of Courageous Leadership: a five-week, comprehensive course for top leaders to deep-dive into their motivations and values and foster invaluable skills that will change the face of leadership (and your organization’s bottom line) in the best way possible, forever. Follow this link to reserve your seat for this incredible opportunity right now. Registration will be open October 12-21, with limited seats available. You don’t want to miss out! In courage, Belinda Register Now