As we emerge from the global pandemic, field service leaders face many challenges. According to a recent survey of 100 field services leaders conducted by software company Aquant, hiring, retaining, and motivating workers are the top struggles that leaders currently experience.
But amid these challenges, it remains crucial for you to focus on addressing them head-on and becoming a better leader to propel your organization forward.
Becoming an excellent field service leader is more than simply getting through the day-to-day operations. It involves encouraging your team members to build their skills and supporting their careers. It also means regularly asking your employees for feedback and equipping them with the right resources to excel in their jobs.
Here are some essential tips to help you become a better team leader:
Make Effective Communication with Your Team a Priority
Remember that your organization can’t move forward without the hardworking people who make up the staff. Take the time to talk with each employee regularly to provide direction on current initiatives and ask for feedback. Keeping open lines of communication is key. When employees know they have a place they can turn to ask questions and get input, they’ll become more productive and motivated to do their jobs well.
When you paint a future vision for your field service organization and ensure each team member understands their place in it, you’re more likely to motivate your employees to do their best work because they know their efforts are making a positive impact. Understanding your employees’ needs is essential to help them feel supported in their work for your company.
Leverage the Right Technology
As technology advances, providing the right tech to help your employees stay productive and efficient is a big part of being an exceptional leader. Having an all-in-one field service platform, such as Gomocha, that enables your technicians to manage all of the day-to-day operations, from scheduling visits to customer sites to monitoring equipment, is crucial.
This technology solution should also provide workers with tools to remotely communicate, collaborate, and share knowledge with team members.
While job hopping is much more common now than 20 years ago, younger generations are more likely to continue working for employers who equip them with high-quality technology that makes their job operations run smoothly.
Provide Training Opportunities for Your Employees
Provide training opportunities for your team to build and grow their skills. According to Field Service News, Millennials and Generation Z want to work for companies that offer professional development opportunities. Research by Deloitte found that the lack of training opportunities ranked third for both generations when they were asked why they were unhappy with their current role or planned to leave it after less than two years.
Further, when you empower your field service employees with the training they need to solve problems and make decisions within their areas of expertise, you encourage innovation and cultivate a sense of ownership.
Becoming a better field service leader must be top of mind if you want to grow your organization. Communicating effectively with your team members, utilizing the right technology, and providing career opportunities for your workers will help you step into a higher level of your role to foster the engaged team you need to take your company to new heights.
Resources:
New Survey Reveals Top Five Challenges for Field Service Leaders in 2023, Field Service News, FieldServiceNews.com.
What Does Great Leadership Look Like Within Field Service Operations?, Field Service News, FieldServiceNews.com.