During tough economic times, we are often asked to do more with less. How can you help your team be more productive?
• Stay clear of turf wars and politics. Focus on team goals and not just your individual job responsibilities. Think beyond your job description. Break down the barriers and silos between teams and sub-teams.
• Clarify roles and responsibilities with your manager, and make sure that everything you are working on is aligned with departmental goals and strategic objectives of the organization.

Delegating is a skill that all leaders need to maximize their effectiveness. Delegating benefits the team leader, the team member, and the organization. Successful delegation raises the team leader's output as soon as he/she begins to achieve results through the multiplied efforts of others. When others perform tasks that the team leader has assigned, the team leader gains time for planning, organizing, directing, and controlling.

As a leader, if you want to keep a team member, there must be advancement and development available. Although career advancement is largely a corporate influence issue, your actions as a leader can still have a significant impact. This includes career counseling, helping the team member network within the organization to increase his/her visibility, and assisting in the preparation for and pursuit of alternative positions within the organization.

“Really great people make you feel that you too, can become great.” - Mark Twain

There is abundant evidence to show the important connection between open, free communication in organizations and organizational success. When people are free to voice their opinions, contribute their ideas, and solve problems, they feel valued and fulfilled. They become committed to the organization, its goals, and its customers. Organizations with closed/low communications don't ever reach their potential.

Dale Carnegie once said, “Do the hard jobs first. The easy jobs will take care of themselves.”

When it comes to leadership, one of the hardest jobs for managers to do is interact effectively on a day-to-day basis. I’m not talking about saying a quick “hello” and “good morning” as you pass each other on the way to the coffee pot. That’s all well and good, but what I’m talking about is the kind of interaction that maintains and enhances self-esteem.

"I used to be a member of this team. Now I'm the manager. Do I really have to discipline the non-performers?"

Managers are responsible for a lot these days – hiring staff, meeting budget targets, and achieving departmental goals. This is a strain some days, and it is easy to feel unproductive yourself. It is equally important for employees to feel that they are meeting their goals and performing acceptably. It would be easy to ignore the individual task of coaching, but we simply can’t do that.

This quote by H. Gordon Selfridge couldn't better summarize what leaders and coaches do best:

How do you delegate AND get the results that you want?

How do you transform performance goals into reality?

While hiring top talent is important, it’s also important for existing team members to create an environment in which newcomers are welcome and want to stick around.

It may not be your responsibility to hire new people. Perhaps that is your manager’s job. It is, however, your responsibility to help new people transition onto the team. Here are a few tips to make any new transition easier: