Leaders All Want To Lead Low Maintenance Teams
Leaders when I say the words Low Maintenance Team a lot of you smile and think about a favorite team from your past.
Some of you are wishing you had a Low Maintenance Team right now.
I’ve had both low maintenance teams and high maintenance teams.
And I know, WE ALL WANT TO LEAD LOW MAINTENANCE TEAMS.
Most of my high maintenance teams occurred early in my 15 years of front line leadership. But as time went on, I adapted and developed systems and philosophies so my teams all became low maintenance teams.
When I Led Low Maintenance Teams–
- I was able to focus on the big picture, strategic needs of the team without getting caught in the weeds.
- Problems were solved at the lowest levels and rarely made it to my desk.
- There was higher job satisfaction and engagement for the leader and the led.
- My Low Maintenance Teams had higher retention rates and more passionate team members.
- Many of my peers seemed to work harder and longer hours, without a measurable difference in performance.
I am not saying these people I respect were poor leaders or did anything wrong. But, I never stopped focusing on becoming more efficient. I consistently told my teams:
“Busy is not the equivalent of effective, and activity does not equal productivity.”
Low Maintenance Team (LMT) Leaders do a few things differently:
- LMT Leaders-give away power and decision-making.
- LMT Leaders- hire low maintenance people.
- LMT Leaders- create a culture that requires initiative and accountability.
- LMT Leaders- create processes that make the team run efficiently.
- LMT Leaders- expect growth and train for growth continuously.
The Bottom Line:
I am not a genius or a wizard at creating Low Maintenance Teams. A lot of what I teach is based on my poor decisions of the past and my desire to get better by studying leadership and the mentoring I received from some great leaders. (Bosses and Peers)
I’ve sat in your chair. And, I know, you know what needs to be done and why it should be done. Trainers and consultants I’ve sat under have all done a good job of THE WHAT and THE WHY—but few consultants lay out the HOW.
I need your help. I am looking for practical tips that front line leaders can implement. I’m looking for THE HOW in building Low Maintenance Teams.
Question:
How have you or leaders you know built Low Maintenance Teams?
LMT -Trying to break up components into smaller simpler steps and then teaching these to less
skilled persons…is that what you mean by LMT.
In modern technology driven areas like Imaging
things can be very complex. But we do try to break
things down and teach these to the less skilled workers. Example-Patient positioning, can be taught to a less experienced radiographer leaving the more complex issues to more experienced persons.
Or-Secretarial filing issues can be taught to junior people while taking complex Life-story interviews can be a skill left to more experienced interviewers.
Agreed Prashant. I think what makes it a LMT is how does the information get shared and how do these different levels work together.