As we navigate through our daily work routines, it's not just about completing tasks or meeting deadlines; it's also about fostering relationships within the team. The interactions we have with our team members and the management play a crucial role in shaping our work environment and overall satisfaction. Building strong relationships can lead to better collaboration, increased morale, and a more cohesive team.
Effective communication is key to these interactions. Whether you're providing feedback, sharing ideas, or simply engaging in casual conversation, the way you communicate can significantly impact the team. It's important to approach each interaction with respect, openness, and a willingness to understand different perspectives.
This post is a simple guide on how a Movers and Shakers team member is encouraged to interact with management and other team members.
Interacting with Management
Ensure information given to management is correct It's important to provide accurate and verified information to management. Incorrect data can lead to misunderstandings, misinformed decisions, and potential setbacks. Always double-check facts and figures before relaying them to ensure reliability and maintain trust.
Ask for access to tools only from management For security reasons, all team members must request access to tools, passwords, and credentials solely from Danny or the manager. This prevents unauthorized access and maintains the integrity of our systems. Only approach another team member for this information if you have explicit permission from management.
Always present complete details related to the matter when giving any kind of update Management often handles multiple tasks simultaneously, so updates should be comprehensive and contextual to lessen the back-and-forths and ensure clarity. Team members should include the following elements when bringing up an update (especially if it's a task given a long time ago) to management: - Key phrase to give away what the update is about - History of what's been done about it and why it's still an ongoing task - Purpose of the task - Update/progress - Specific action plan you need from Danny or the manager - Deadline on when it's needed to be addressed Scenario: Danny asked a team member to purchase t-shirts for the instructors and have them shipped to our printing service provider. The member needs to communicate to the manager that she needs to send payment to complete this task. BAD: Hi manager. Please complete payment for shirts. Here's the link. <link> GOOD: Hi manager. Need your help to complete t-shirts task. On Monday, Danny asked me to order shirts and have them shipped to Stoopid Shirt for printing. These will be given to our instructors. Sizes are as follows: S-1, M-3, XS-1. I have already added the shirts to the cart. Here's the link <link>. When you get the chance today, kindly log in and please proceed to checkout. Here's the shipping address <info>. Danny intends to give this to the instructors a week before the new programs start. Please let me know once done so I can track it. Thank you!
Interacting with Team Members
Avoid dropping names and pointing fingers in group communication Focus on explaining your own perspective without blaming others. This approach maintains professionalism and avoids unnecessary conflict among the team. Scenario: Danny asked if the calendar events for the new season are already set up but you're not the point person in charge for it. BAD: I am prioritizing the campaigns this week and am not able to check this so I assumed manager saw this and took over. GOOD: I am prioritizing the campaigns this week and am not able to check this. 🙏
Be polite to team members when sharing any type of feedback We are giddy with excitement when we receive suggestions, ideas, and feedback from members! It contributes to our team growth, especially if the member takes their time to see what's going on in other parts of Movers and Shakers that are not necessarily within their scope of responsibility. This shows that member is invested in the organization and that's what we want in the team. Sometimes though, out of excitement or passion, we tend to express our ideas in a harsh way and overstep our bounds. Regardless of intention, make sure to be polite to team members when sharing any type of feedback. Scenario: Member of SEO project telling operations support to correct an error in the enrollment form BAD: I noticed the performance team waitlist link on the enrollment form is broken. Really important that this gets fixed or else we're just losing leads. Has this been checked? Edit it ASAP. GOOD: I noticed the performance team waitlist link on the enrollment form is broken. I'm worried we might've already missed some leads for that program. The form may just be faulty on my end though. Can you please check?
Always preface a command with the words "please" or "kindly" When approaching a team member, the last thing we want to do is come across as demanding or authoritative. At Movers and Shakers, we promote leaving our egos at the door. Therefore, no team member should feel or act like they are superior to the other. Use polite phrases like "please" or "kindly" when asking for something. This small gesture can significantly impact team dynamics, making interactions more respectful and considerate. If a matter is not urgent, here are other phrases to soften your command: "Could you please..." "When you get the chance, please..." "When you have a moment, could you..." "It would be great if you could..."
Preface a chat message with the word "URGENT" if it concerns a priority task It's a common misconception that a VA is not working if they're not able to respond quickly online. This is not 100% true. Below are possible reasons why there is a delay in member's response time: - The VA is focused on the execution of a priority task assigned to them. - The VA intentionally reads messages by the end of the shift because responding to non-urgent messages may interrupt their momentum with the current task, regardless if that task is urgent or not. - The VA may be on lunch break or bio-break. Kindly consider their time zones. Unless otherwise stated, by default, members will treat all chat messages as non-urgent and they will get back to it when they are able, or by the end of their shift the latest.
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