Leading Meetings and Teams

13 A Team Is a Group of Individuals. Don't Forget to Give Individualized Support

Up until now, I've talked a lot about facilitation techniques for running a team, but one thing that you can't forget is that a team is a collection of individuals. I will be listing four tips on how to support your team members individually, while not neglecting the group as a whole.

○ Individualized Support Tip #1: Get to know each team member individually.

Leaders who look out for their team members and communicate well are trusted and respected. That's why the first thing you should do when dealing with new team members is to get to know them. For example, have you ever asked your team what they as individuals would like their leader to know? In order to provide each member with the best work environment, opportunities, and advice, it's important to be familiar with members from various perspectives and deepen your understanding of them.

○ Individualized Support Tip #2: Look closely.

In addition to getting to know your team members, you should be familiar with the various ways of effectively observing them.

Look at the whole team to get a big picture, examine those that pique your interest, care for the members you want to nurture as they change and evolve, keep an eye on those who are likely to cause problems and determine what the problem is, and watch over members who aren't feeling well and encourage their recovery.

You'll need to use these different methods of observation depending ...