How to Boost Team Collaboration as a Leader

One of the hardest balances to master as a leader is staying informed about your team’s work without crossing the line into micromanaging them. You want to support them, remove roadblocks, and guide outcomes without making them feel like you’re hovering. Here’s a framework I’ve found effective for maintaining that balance: 1. Set the Tone Early Make it clear that your intent is to support, not control. For example: “We’ll need regular updates to discuss progress and so I can effectively champion this work in other forums. My goal is to ensure you have what you need, to help where it’s most valuable, and help others see the value you’re delivering.” 2. Create a Cadence of Check-Ins Establish structured moments for updates to avoid constant interruptions. Weekly or biweekly check-ins with a clear agenda help: • Progress: What’s done? • Challenges: What’s blocking progress? • Next Steps: What’s coming up? This predictability builds trust while keeping everyone aligned. 3. Ask High-Leverage Questions Stay focused on outcomes by asking strategic questions like: • “What’s the biggest risk right now?” • “What decisions need my input?” • “What’s working that we can replicate?” This approach keeps the conversation productive and empowering. 4. Define Metrics and Milestones Collaborate with your team to define success metrics and use shared dashboards to track progress. This allows you to stay updated without manual reporting or extra meetings. 5. Empower Ownership Show your trust by encouraging problem-solving: “If you run into an issue, let me know your proposed solutions, and we’ll work through it together.” When the team owns their work, they’ll take greater pride in the results. 6. Leverage Technology Use tools like Asana, Jira, or Trello to centralize updates. Shared project platforms give you visibility while letting your team focus on execution. 7. Solicit Feedback Ask your team: “Am I giving you enough space, or would you prefer more or less input from me?” This not only fosters trust but also helps you refine your approach as a leader. Final Thought: Growing up playing sports, none of my coaches ever suited up and got in the game with the players on the field. As a leader, you should follow the same discipline. How do you stay informed without micromanaging? What would you add? #leadership #peoplemanagement #projectmanagement #leadershipdevelopment

This took me 5+ years to figure out... The power of compounding in leadership. Successful leaders build: • trust • collaboration • psychological safety • momentum Here's my story: When I first became a manager, I had no idea what I was doing. I had only a few skills to effectively lead the team. And I soon realized that I needed more. So I read books and articles. I asked questions. I took courses to expand my skills and knowledge. And I learned that it's not any one action or idea. Instead, successful leaders understand how to compound their results. → 1% better every day = 37x better in a year Each action builds on other actions. Here are 10 areas on which to focus: 1️⃣ Hold 1:1s 1:1s provide opportunities to set goals, motivate, and give feedback together. ↳ Don't cancel or reschedule. ↳ Do ask questions and listen. 2️⃣ Communicate Teams thrive when there is clear, frequent communication. ↳ Don't hide information. ↳ Do repeat info through several mediums. 3️⃣ Delegate Responsibility Employees are more engaged when given the trust and responsibility to complete tasks. ↳ Don't abdicate responsibility. ↳ Do consider task-relevant maturity. 4️⃣ Set Goals The team should clearly understand what they are working towards, and how they contribute. ↳ Don't dictate goals unilaterally. ↳ Do allow for personal and stretch goals. 5️⃣ Share Knowledge Teams work more efficiently and effectively when accessing collective knowledge. ↳ Don't try to do everything yourself. ↳ Do have the team share best practices. 6️⃣ Ask Questions Questions signal that the team's opinions and insights are valued, promoting collaboration. ↳ Don't ask questions but ignore answers. ↳ Do pose open questions for more insights. 7️⃣ Give Feedback Feedback motivates employees and reinforces the right actions aligned with goals. ↳ Don't use the feedback sandwich. ↳ Do give sincere praise and celebrate wins. 8️⃣ Create Vision and Values Clear vision and values align your team around shared goals and guide actions. ↳ Don't set and forget your MVVs. ↳ Do involve the team when developing. 9️⃣ Promote Continuous Learning Investing in continuous learning leads to high engagement and retention. ↳ Don't be afraid to coach and mentor. ↳ Do view failures as learning opportunities. 🔟 Foster Resilience Resilience helps teams effectively manage challenges, as well as recover from setbacks. ↳ Don't ignore the impact of stress. ↳ Do set an example by taking time off. Although we expect instant results these days, you need patience to build a high-performing team. When you do these actions consistently over time, you let compounding work its magic! PS. Which of these do you find most challenging? ***** 👋 I'm Chris Cotter. 🔔 Follow for more on leadership. ✳️ I help managers level up for success / happiness. DM me!

When I first started leading teams, I thought being a good communicator meant being a good talker. But I quickly learned that listening is more important than speaking. 👂 Active Listening Active listening is about giving the speaker your undivided attention, maintaining eye contact, and asking clarifying questions. It's about understanding your team members' concerns, ideas, and perspectives. By doing so, you build trust, avoid misunderstandings, and create a safe space for open communication. ✍️ Clear and Concise Language As a leader, you'll be communicating with team members who have different backgrounds, experiences, and communication styles. That's why clear and concise language is essential. Avoid using jargon or technical terms that might confuse others. Instead, use simple language and provide specific examples to illustrate your point. This helps ensure your message is understood and acted upon. 💬 Regular Feedback Providing regular feedback is an important part of effective communication. It's about sharing your thoughts and observations with team members in a way that's helpful and constructive. This helps your team members grow and improve, and it also shows you're invested in their success. 👀 Transparency As a leader, you set the tone for your team's culture. Transparency is about sharing information openly, explaining decisions and rationales, and being approachable. By being transparent, you build trust and credibility with your team, and you create an environment where people feel comfortable sharing their thoughts and ideas. ❤️ Emotional Intelligence Emotional intelligence is also important for effective communication. It's about recognizing and managing your own emotions to effectively manage others. Practice self-awareness, empathy, and social skills to build strong relationships with your team. 🤓 Asking Open-Ended Questions I've also found that asking open-ended questions can be a powerful way to encourage critical thinking, creativity, and collaboration. Use questions that begin with what, how, or why to stimulate discussion and exploration. 🚶 Being Approachable and Available Finally, being approachable and available is important. Make time for your team members, be responsive to messages and emails, and be willing to help. By doing so, you create a safe and supportive environment where people feel comfortable coming to you with questions, concerns, or ideas. Effective communication is a skill that takes practice, patience, and persistence. It's okay to make mistakes because you'll always be learning and growing. By following these strategies, you'll be well on your way to becoming a effective communicator and a successful leader. What's a question that's challenged your thinking and made you think differently? --- 🔔 Ready to think differently about your technology career? Follow me for hard-won insights and expert advice. I've spent years learning the hard way so you don't have to.

I’ve been leading a distributed team since 2015... And I’ve learned a few things. If you want to be a good leader – one that understands their team, support the needs of their team members, and helps everyone row together in the same direction – then there are some areas you have to level up on. In a nutshell, here are 6 of the most important things I focus on for running a remote team. 𝐒𝐡𝐨𝐰𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐠𝐞𝐧𝐮𝐢𝐧𝐞 𝐞𝐦𝐩𝐚𝐭𝐡𝐲 𝐚𝐧𝐲 𝐭𝐢𝐦𝐞 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐭𝐞𝐚𝐦 𝐦𝐞𝐦𝐛𝐞𝐫 𝐞𝐱𝐩𝐫𝐞𝐬𝐬𝐞𝐬 𝐚 𝐩𝐫𝐨𝐛𝐥𝐞𝐦 𝐨𝐫 𝐟𝐫𝐮𝐬𝐭𝐫𝐚𝐭𝐢𝐨𝐧. 📋How to: Use The Empathy Formula to acknowledge the team member’s feelings based on facts. Here’s the formula: “It sounds like you’re (feeling) because/about (fact). “Here’s a real-life example: “It sounds like you’re feeling overwhelmed (feeling) because of the reduced number of people on the team (fact).” 𝐄𝐬𝐭𝐚𝐛𝐥𝐢𝐬𝐡 𝐚 𝐧𝐞𝐰 𝐨𝐧𝐞-𝐨𝐧-𝐨𝐧𝐞 𝐦𝐞𝐞𝐭𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐫𝐨𝐮𝐭𝐢𝐧𝐞. 📋How to: Have a scheduled meeting at least twice per week over video conference. If these meetings are currently less frequent, use the same amount of overall time divided up over more meetings. Always have your camera on and ask that the employee does the same — it’s a way to build connection. 𝐓𝐚𝐥𝐤 𝐭𝐨 𝐲𝐨𝐮𝐫 𝐭𝐞𝐚𝐦 𝐦𝐞𝐦𝐛𝐞𝐫𝐬 𝐞𝐯𝐞𝐫𝐲 𝐬𝐢𝐧𝐠𝐥𝐞 𝐝𝐚𝐲. 📋How to: If a meeting is not scheduled, call them on the phone and talk to them. Sometimes just a quick check-in call is all it takes for some days. One of the most important elements of being an effective manager is keeping lines of communication open with your team members, especially when it has nothing to do with assignments or project statuses. 𝐃𝐞𝐦𝐨𝐧𝐬𝐭𝐫𝐚𝐭𝐞 𝐲𝐨𝐮𝐫 𝐚𝐯𝐚𝐢𝐥𝐚𝐛𝐢𝐥𝐢𝐭𝐲. 📋How to: End your meetings with team members by encouraging the team member to contact you by phone or to request an unscheduled meeting. Answer the call if at all possible. 𝐄𝐬𝐭𝐚𝐛𝐥𝐢𝐬𝐡 𝐥𝐢𝐧𝐞 𝐨𝐟 𝐬𝐢𝐠𝐡𝐭 𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐜𝐨𝐧𝐭𝐢𝐧𝐮𝐞 𝐭𝐨 𝐫𝐞𝐢𝐧𝐟𝐨𝐫𝐜𝐞 𝐢𝐭. 📋How to: Ensure work assignments, expectations, and deadlines are perfectly clear. Break down current goals into smaller chunks that are measured on a more frequent basis. Find opportunities during your one-on-ones to talk about how the specific work they do contributes to a specific team or company objective. This is not as obvious to them as it might be to you. 𝐃𝐨 𝐧𝐨𝐭 𝐡𝐨𝐥𝐝 𝐡𝐲𝐛𝐫𝐢𝐝 𝐦𝐞𝐞𝐭𝐢𝐧𝐠𝐬. 📋How to: For those leading hybrid teams, level the meeting playing field so all team members can contribute equally. This is best practice in general, and particularly important for the struggling team member. If some of the team members are in the same location and some are remote, have the onsite team members split up and join from their own computers. It equals the playing field. Tell me ⬇️ some of your best tips for leading distributed teams!

Trust is built through small, consistent interactions. I was coaching a leader today who realized their efforts to implement a new business approach and processes have shifted their team culture to be fully task-focused. They are feeling less connected to their people and sense they don't truly know how people feel at work. Do team members feel engaged? Are they motivated to do their work? Do they trust the direction the leadership is going? This is such an important awareness this leader tuned into. Interpersonal connection creates a foundation of trust to get the work done even more efficiently and collaboratively. The good news is that trust can be strengthened through small, consistent behaviors. A few steps to boost trust and connection with a team in small ways: 🌟 Acknowledge the current reality and the shift you want to see. Own up to the way you have contributed to a culture that has not invested in helping people feel socially connected. Share the kind of culture you want to move toward creating, where people feel seen and engaged. 🌟 Create regular rhythms. Build moments to personally connect into pre-existing rhythms. A few examples are: 🙌 Start meetings with a space to share weekly wins. What do people want to celebrate? 🙌 Do an online check in at the start of the day. If you primarily interact online, ask people to share a word about how they're feeling that day or a highlight from their week so far. 🙌 Plan in-person check ins. If you work in-person or in a hybrid environment, intentionally set days/times to walk through the physical space when your people are in, so you can see how they're doing. 🙌 If you're fully digital, consider integrating a personal check in at the beginning of regular one-on-one meetings. 🙌 Let team members share. This could be as simple as taking two minutes to answer a question like, "What is one work accomplishment you're most proud of?" or "You can come to me for help with..." in the chat or an in-person meeting. 🌟 Assess your system. If senior leaders model only talking about tasks, if people are rewarded only for completing tasks, if the majority of meetings focus only around tasks, then your system will not support efforts to value and grow the people doing those tasks. Consider how to model, reward, and talk about social connections. How else do you create trust-building rhythms in your teams and organizations? #leadership #connection #trustiskey __________________________________ If you're looking for support to help your organization build trust and create rhythms and systems that build psychological safety and innovation, let's connect!

Trust is the secret ingredient to successful teams, in my experience. When people trust that they can share ideas, express themselves, disagree, and take smart risks without fundamentally damaging their relationships within the team, creativity and productivity flourish. People soar to new heights. Teams unlock their potential. Of course, trust needs to be earned; it isn't automatic. And it can be broken in an instant. Here are some ways leaders can foster trust within teams, based on my own mistakes and learnings over the years: ✅ 𝐂𝐨𝐦𝐞 𝐟𝐫𝐨𝐦 𝐚 𝐩𝐥𝐚𝐜𝐞 𝐨𝐟 𝐜𝐮𝐫𝐢𝐨𝐬𝐢𝐭𝐲, 𝐧𝐨𝐭 𝐣𝐮𝐝𝐠𝐦𝐞𝐧𝐭. You set the tone for how your team behaves. When they see you reacting to new ideas with skepticism and judgment, they follow suit. Consider asking questions to understand rather than jumping to conclusions. ✅ 𝐀𝐬𝐬𝐮𝐦𝐞 𝐩𝐨𝐬𝐢𝐭𝐢𝐯𝐞 𝐢𝐧𝐭𝐞𝐧𝐭. Surprised by someone's behavior or work product? Put yourself in their shoes and think about what may have prompted it. People generally have good intentions and try their best. Coach rather than criticize. ✅ 𝐀𝐯𝐨𝐢𝐝 "𝐧𝐢𝐭𝐩𝐢𝐜𝐤 𝐜𝐮𝐥𝐭𝐮𝐫𝐞." If someone turns in work that is 95% solid and 5% off-the-mark, affirm the 95% before zeroing in on what needs improvement. Focus your feedback on the big picture while allowing the team to retain autonomy over execution. ✅ 𝐄𝐧𝐜𝐨𝐮𝐫𝐚𝐠𝐞 𝐝𝐢𝐫𝐞𝐜𝐭 𝐜𝐨𝐦𝐦𝐮𝐧𝐢𝐜𝐚𝐭𝐢𝐨𝐧. Team members need to feel comfortable communicating with each other about the good, the bad, and the ugly. If someone comes to you to talk about a colleague, get them in a room together rather than playing the middle-man. ✅ 𝐏𝐫𝐚𝐢𝐬𝐞 𝐜𝐨𝐧𝐭𝐫𝐚𝐫𝐲 𝐯𝐢𝐞𝐰𝐬. The best ideas come about when everyone feels comfortable expressing themselves. If a team member disagrees with you publicly, use the opportunity to praise this behavior. Open (and respectful) dialogue is a good thing! Being mindful of your leadership behaviors can go a long way toward creating psychological safety and building trust within teams. I'd love to hear your ideas and input on what I've shared above. #leadership #trust #psychologicalsafety #team #motivation