When you’re in charge of your team, success lies in understanding your role as a leader, reading the personalities of your team, and leading your people through the stages and challenges of your team’s development.

No matter your title – team leader, manager or facilitator- your goal is to help your team achieve results, right?

The first step toward that end is to understand how to juggle those three roles, leader, manager & facilitator.

Chances are you will be expected to perform all three at one time or another, and your ability to be a move easily from role to role will be critical.

A “leader” is primarily an inspirational person, the one who sets the stage and the vision. 

A “manager” is concerned with making sure things are getting done in an orderly fashion and that vision is becoming reality.

A “facilitator” is more concerned with inspiring new ideas, generating self-awareness within the team and, bringing about connections and contributions from all team members.

Consider the following comparison of roles:

Leader          
1. Concerned with doing the right thing. 
2. Takes the long-term view.
3. Concentrates on what and why.
4. Thinks in terms of innovations, development, and the future.
5. Sets the vision: the tone and direction.      
6. Hopes others will respond and follow.
7. Appeals to hopes and dreams.        
8. Expects others to help realize a vision.
9. Inspires innovation.

Manager      
1. Concerned with doing things right.  
2. Takes the short-term view.
3. Concentrates on how.
4. Thinks in terms of administrations, maintenance, and the present.        
5. Sets the plan: the pace.
6. Hopes others will complete their tasks.   
7. Monitors boundaries and defines limits.
8. Expects others to fulfill their mission or purpose.       
9. Inspires stability.

Facilitator
1. Concerned with helping people do things.
2. Helps people find a view and articulate it.
3. Helps people concentrate and be clear in the here and now.
4. Helps people think, and helps them communicate their thoughts.      
5. Helps people make meaning of tone and direction, and to function well
at the required pace. 
6. Hopes others will engage in the process.
7. Helps others make meaning of hopes and dreams; pushes appropriately on boundaries.
8. Helps others articulate a shared vision and common mission or purpose.
9. Helps people respond to things that are new and things that remain the same.

People need to be lead. 
Tasks need to be managed. 
Decisions need to be facilitated.

The more flexibility you have and the more easily you move among these roles, the more power you will have to effectively lead your team to the results you seek.

Call Professional Teambuilding at 1-800-446-4742 and find out more about how our corporate teambuilding and motivational programs can help you build a more satisfied, motivated and productive workforce.

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