How to Lead a Team That Lacks Urgency

“My team lacks urgency. I’ve got to follow up on everything or we miss deadlines. I’m tired of babysitting. How can I ensure things get done on time?” Sound familiar?

In this episode, you’ll get five ways to help get things moving. Paradoxically, sometimes leaders with a high internal sense of urgency can struggle with this the most. But the good news is that there are just a few straightforward tools you can use to help everyone work effectively and meet those deadlines.

 

(01:48)
Let’s start with five steps to get things done and help your team develop a common sense of urgency.

(02:00)
Urgency means different things to different people. Folks naturally have a different perspective on what matters and why it matters.

(02:27)
Help your team be as effective as possible and lower your stress level by creating a common understanding of timeframes, and shared commitments.

(02:46)
Leadership starts with you. If your team lacks urgency, pay attention to how you respond to tasks, opportunities, and problems.

(03:34)
A critical step to help a team that lacks urgency is to identify routine tasks so you can schedule the finish.

(07:00)
The second category of tasks is the things that aren’t routine. These can be delegated assignments, project work multi-part tasks. For high urgency leaders, these are the tasks that usually needed to be completed yesterday.

(10:10)
The final way to help a team that lacks urgency is to reinforce it with celebration and accountability. You get more of what you celebrate and encourage, and less of what you criticize or ignore. Reinforce what’s working for the routine items.

(11:38)
Remember, people’s sense of urgency varies. Use these tools to get everyone on the same page.

The post How to Lead a Team That Lacks Urgency appeared first on Let's Grow Leaders.