The role of the managers in keeping their team’s performance at its peak is a challenge often faced by many leaders and requires a variety of leadership skills.
One of the important leadership skills is holding team talks. They can have a significant impact on team morale, energy levels and performance on the pitch and it’s often the locker room where matches are won.
An article in achieveforum.com lists out a few points that will help in making effective team talks.
* The pre-match talk should be about boosting the player’s confidence and it’s not only about what is being said, but more importantly how is it being said. Behavior and body language are highly influential and can reinforce how authentic and credible the leader is. Often when trying to get across a long list of points, by the end of it the team has probably forgotten the first few which were likely to be the most important.
* Giving feedback is an important aspect of communication. It is easy to provide good feedback when the players are performing well. However when players need to be communicated a more firm or negative message, it’s best to take the one to one approach. Criticism shouldn’t be personal and the team needs to understand that all feedback has one objective in mind – to help the team and all players need to take ownership.
* The ability to adapt to changing circumstances and adjusting the game plans accordingly is a critical leadership skill that impacts the entire team. Research shows that 70% business change initiatives fail, due to leaders being unable to adapt and what makes a positive impact is knowing how to drive and understanding the human face of change.
* Those who feel and demonstrate ownership are more likely to exceed expectation, proactively help other team members to succeed and continuously develop new skills and tactics. Ownership results in individuals feeling fully engaged and responsible for their performance and it links to the team’s success.
