5 Key Techniques to Protect Your Team

Hi everyone, this is S. K. from E-newcademy!
Today, let’s talk a little about management and leadership in particular!

Across eras, leadership skills have guided employees, shaping great leadership qualities throughout history.

Even with modern tech, leadership training enhances essential leadership skills to connect with people effectively.

As proof, we can cite a few historical figures: Joan of Arc, Nelson Mandela, Gandhi, Winston Churchill, and General de Gaulle.
Each had their own style and context depending on the era, but they all demonstrated true leadership that inspires our article!

Among the qualities of leadership, one point is particularly important: knowing how to protect your teams.
A manager lacking qualities of a good leader fails to protect their team effectively.

A good leader does not just protect a vision.
They protect their team’s time, energy, and focus.

Leading means creating the conditions for everyone to give their best.
And that also means protecting your employees from a toxic environment.

A degree, certificate, or management experience is a good start, but soft skills such as leadership are also essential!

When a leader takes care of their team,
the whole company benefits.
Be the leader you would like to follow. Here are some tips you can follow.

1. Protect your work in depth

Nowadays, it’s very easy to get distracted by anything and everything.
Messages on Teams or Slack, secondary requests, false emergencies, etc.
Over the course of a day, this adds up to several minutes, or even hours, of lost productivity.

Here’s an example from my own experience.
When I was an expense report manager, I received a lot of messages on Teams while I had to manage three portfolios of several hundred expense reports.
Needless to say, it was hellish and unbearable, because most of the messages were irrelevant, as the consultants would have been notified when their reimbursements were received at some point.
So I decided to ignore these messages or respond to them when I had nothing else to do.
The worst part was that the company I worked for provided a resource for consultants to get the information they needed.

A similar situation is when colleagues ask for information that can be found in the company’s resources or that can be postponed until later.
This lack of protection, addressed by leadership skills, hampers efficiency and team performance.

It is always effective to work in 2-3 hour blocks to remain efficient, then take a break or do small tasks.

How can a manager with leadership skills protect this work in depth?

– Provide easily accessible and readable resources (see chatbots if necessary) to people who are likely to solicit your team.
Clarify and require the use of these resources first, then recommend contacting your team only as a last resort.

– If colleagues need non-urgent information, you can recommend that they write down the information or comments and then discuss them in a weekly meeting to clarify the points they have noted over time.

2. Highlight your team’s achievements.

A serious problem that employees face today, and one that causes a lot of unhappiness, is a lack of recognition.

A simple “thank you, you did a good job, etc.” is already a good start on the part of a leader.
But we can go further: encourage and congratulate our team for the good achievements that have led to a good result.
Even if we work to earn a salary, financial gain and the promise of job security do not necessarily guarantee employee happiness and retention.
In addition to the work environment, employees also need to feel valued in their work.
By highlighting their achievements, you give meaning to their work and invest in their commitment, creating a virtuous circle.

The opposite often leads to disastrous situations. Here is an example:

According to Hays, 44% of French employees who left their jobs did so because of a lack of recognition at work.

A lack of recognition increases the risk of employees leaving, feelings of devaluation, decreased motivation and satisfaction, and contributes to higher staff turnover rates.
(source: https://www.eleas.fr/manque-de-reconnaissance-au-travail/)

3. Preventing professional exhaustion.

Burnout, brownout, boreout, depression, and even suicide in the workplace are scourges that have been steadily increasing over the years.
In this regard, there is much work to be done, as this is a catastrophic situation that has led to a sharp increase in sick leave and absenteeism.
In some cases, sick leave lasts for months, which creates a vicious circle for the company itself.
This can affect the atmosphere, add extra tasks, or even increase mental stress.
Excessive stress over time demotivates employees, but transformational leadership can safeguard your business.

So how can a leader prevent burnout?

– Be human: balance workloads and set realistic goals; constantly asking more of employees can be perceived as overwhelming rather than anything else.

– Be vigilant about malicious behavior.
Unfortunately, conflicts that lead to stress or bullying can drastically lead to burnout.
Example: I worked for one year as an assistant project manager in a logistics company.
I and other employees were subjected to psychological harassment by other employees.
Management did little more than offer weak protections, or even suggested that people leave with severance pay and benefits.
This is a serious problem because it allows problematic individuals to thrive in the company rather than resolving the situation.

And if you still don’t know how to handle this type of situation, there are leadership training courses available.
Our partners at E-newcademy offer a wide range of leadership training courses to help you become a good leader.
Acquire the soft skills you need to make a difference and elevate your teams at all times!

4. Set priorities.

Have you ever heard of the Eisenhower Matrix?

If so, that’s already a very good thing for your leadership skills. If not, leadership training will be essential!

Let’s talk about it briefly: the Eisenhower Matrix is a management tool developed by Dwight D. Eisenhower in the 1950s, designed for basic time management.
Let’s take a quick look at an example, from most serious to least serious:

Urgent and important: Complete tasks to ensure deployment within the next 24 hours.

Urgent but not important: Respond to a customer regarding a minor technical issue they are experiencing.

Important but not urgent: Take care of administrative declarations within 30 days. Since it is not urgent, this can be done last before the deadline.

Neither important nor urgent: Secondary tasks such as email archiving.

Do you understand the importance of this matrix and the definition of priority?
This ties in somewhat with what we said about protecting in-depth work.
If teams lack situational leadership, prioritizing tasks in the department sparks multiple issues.
Risks include delays in important tasks, disorganization, internal problems, unprotected deep work, or even cohesion issues.
This matrix and prioritization allow leaders to be good conductors for their teams.

5 Reduce bureaucracy!

This section may be of interest to managers working in accounting, finance, sales, or administrative departments.
Excessive processes and red tape, tackled by a team leader, can discourage your staff!

In principle, employees are hired to delegate tasks.
This excess of processes can be exhausting because it creates delays or can be perceived as a lack of trust.
However, trust and fluidity are advantages for a team, including in terms of agility, because agility is a sought-after skill!
Therefore, it may be more appropriate to find solutions that combine respect for processes with flexible and reliable agility.

To conclude :

As you navigate the complexities of leadership, implementing these five techniques will empower you to safeguard your teams and foster a thriving work environment. From protecting deep work to recognizing achievements, preventing burnout, setting clear priorities, and reducing bureaucracy, each step builds a foundation for success that benefits both your employees and your organization. Leadership is not just about managing tasks—it’s about nurturing people, ensuring their well-being, and unlocking their potential. By adopting these strategies, you’ll create a culture of trust, motivation, and agility that sets your team apart in today’s competitive landscape.

The journey to becoming an exceptional leader doesn’t end here. Continuous growth is key, and E-newcademy is here to support you every step of the way. Our expertly designed online courses offer tailored leadership training to hone your skills, from mastering team management to enhancing emotional intelligence. Whether you’re a seasoned manager or aspiring leader, our programs provide the tools and insights to elevate your career and transform your team’s performance. 

Don’t miss the opportunity to invest in yourself and your people—explore our diverse catalog of leadership development courses at E-newcademy.com today. With flexible learning options and practical guidance, you can start building your leadership legacy now. Take action, enroll in a course, and join a community of leaders committed to excellence. Your team deserves the best, and with E-newcademy, you’ll gain the confidence and competence to lead with impact. Visit us now at E-newcademy.com and unlock your potential—because great leadership starts with you!