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15 Essential Habits of Amazing Team Leaders

15 Essential Habits of Amazing Team Leaders    

Creating amazing Team Leaders takes a lot of work and it’s certainly not always easy, but, the surprising thing is it isn’t the hardest thing in the world either… especially if your Team Leaders adopt positive habits they consistently apply every day!

Over the past 35 years I’ve been involved with Call Centers either as a Call Center Owner, consulting with businesses coaching and mentoring their Call Center Managers and Team Leaders, I’ve seen the best habits in action that amazing Team Leaders use to successfully nurture, coach and lead winning teams!

And, I promise. If your Team Leaders learn these habits and effectively apply them every day, in a few quick months’ senior managers and team members will recognize them as a truly amazing Team Leaders.

Habit 1: Knowing Their Numbers

Amazing Team Leaders are obsessive when it comes to knowing their team metrics. They know these numbers are how they are measured every hour, day, week and month, so they keep track of where their team is in relation to their KPIs and sales targets every day and every hour of the day.

Habit 2: Setting Expectations

Amazing Team Leaders always remember they are leader, coach and mentor and they set the direction and expectations for the team and team members individually early and often. They set expectations on the key performance metrics and other areas like work behaviors and even dress code.

They also set expectations on what the team will get from them be it coaching, extra training or being a cheerleader and celebrating team and individual achievements.

Habit 3: Walking the Talk

Amazing Team Leaders handle calls each week to stay sharp and on top of any issues the team may be facing to show the team they’re invested in its success.

They know taking or making calls earns the team’s respect, and also helps them in other ways because if the team knows their Team Leader can do the job they’re more open to being coached and listening to suggestions and tips.

Habit 4: Clearing Roadblocks

Amazing Team Leaders find out what is getting in the way of their team members hitting their targets and doing a great job. They know it’s their job to try their best to address these issues and fix them. 

And, for any issues they can’t fix, they let the team know why because they know the team will accept an issue once they know why it can’t be fixed.

Habit 5: Helping Team Members Be Great

Amazing Team Leaders remember how scary it was and how unsure they were when they first started on the phones, how much there was to learn and take on board. They remember how they needed reassurance and support from their Team Leader and how they wanted and needed constant feedback especially in the beginning.

So, amazing Team Leaders evaluate team member’s efforts often and give corrective feedback and reassurance to help team members become really good at their jobs.

Habit 6: Effectively On boarding New Members

When a new team member joins the team, the first thing amazing Team Leaders do is get feedback from the training team to get an understanding of what they were good at and what help is still needed.

They also want to check on the new team member’s attitude, their attendance, how they participated in training and how they interacted with others to get a sense of what still needs to be worked on.

And, amazing Team Leaders ease them into the job by having them sit with an experienced agent for a few shifts to settle them into the job and into the team and get comfortable with the job by watching and listening to how the job is done.

Basically, providing a safe place to ask questions or bring up any concerns they may have regarding the job, and make connections with people in the team.

Habit 7: Getting Extra Help When Needed.

When amazing Team Leaders notice a gap in certain call activity, procedures or processes they look for help from the training or quality assurance teams by having them listen to extra calls or by giving extra training to the team to help them fill the gap.

Habit 8: Managing Absenteeism

Amazing Team Leaders work on absenteeism every day, seeing it as a trip wire, warning them there may be a problem with a team member who is thinking of leaving.

Apart from being concerned for their team member’s welfare and their duty of care to them, they see this as a great opportunity to fix a problem early before someone decides to leave.

They know often it can be a simple fix or these absences may be related to a more serious problem that can affect the whole team, so they want to find out what’s going on and if they can, fix it as soon as possible.

Habit 9: Showing They Care

Amazing Team Leader develop a high degree of emotional intelligence by constantly showing they care about their team members by being genuinely interested in their lives inside and outside work.

Habit 10: Recognizing Good Effort

Amazing Team leaders know that genuine recognition and appreciation for hard work, even if someone just missed out on a target is very rewarding and it can be as simple as a pat on the back.

Habit 11: Keeping Their Team Close

For the better part of the shift amazing Team Leaders manage their team by walking around their team, being available to answer questions, give tips or quick training sessions and fixing any problems people are having that comes up.

 They know that it’s more efficient and easier to be accessible with the team is sitting around them, so they don’t have to wander all over the floor because when someone really needs their help, they need it right away!

Habit 12: Being Prepared.

Amazing Team Leaders work to a schedule for the upcoming week and follow their schedule.

They build their schedule with weekly activities they know come up every week and include any regular meetings they have with their boss and other meetings, and schedule time outside of peak calling times for admin tasks, answering emails, reading reports or updating them.

They especially schedule time to listen to recorded calls and coaching sessions to provide corrective feedback!

Habit 13 Efficiently Running Pre-shift Meetings

Amazing Team Leaders always have quick positive meetings for 5 to 10 minutes before a shift begins to share where the team is tracking against KPIs and targets and share any information on changes or updates to processes, systems or products the team need to know about, and hand out award certificates and providing recognition.

They’re also get each team member to commit to a personal target for the shift, and do a ‘Check up from the Neck up’ to make sure everyone has cleared their minds and is focused on their goals.

Habit 14: Learning Why a Team Member Quit

Considering all the time and effort they’ve invested in their team member, amazing Team Leaders really want to know if the reason why someone quit and if it could have been avoided or corrected to make sure it doesn’t happen again.

Habit 15: Investing In Their Personal Development.

Amazing Team Leaders want to enhance their skills and take advantage of any training opportunity or leadership seminars the company provides or further their personal development by getting their hands on as many books, articles or videos like this one to grow further.

They also speak with other team leaders and senior people in the company to find out what books, courses or training materials they would recommend, and join online call center communities and t call center associations to learn more and improve their skills.

The quicker a Team Leader adopts these habits and applies them every day the easier their job will become and the quicker they’ll be recognized as an amazing Team Leader who effectively coaches, nurtures and leads a great team - someone worthy of greater responsibilities and promotion!

Want to learn more?

Want to learn more on how to develop a proven, practical and easy-to-implement training program to create amazing Team Leaders with a clear understanding of their role, and the practical skills needed…

to turn underperformers into high achievers, who regularly reach (or even exceed) their monthly targets and KPIs?

Simply enroll in my free online course - 7 Pillars For Creating Amazing Team Leaders using this link (https://7pillarsmembers.marccarriere.net/).

You get instant access to this free course PLUS 15 Bonus Micro Training Videos AND free download of the 7 Pillars For Creating Amazing Team Leaders Guide.

After this Free Training you’ll understand all the vital elements you need to develop your own structured Team Leader training program and deliver it.

Just imagine how confident you’ll be training your Team Leaders with all the skills they need to turn low performing teams into high achievers that hit (or even exceed) their targets and KPIs every month!