5 tips to help you lead your team to
success
Managing a team is rarely an easy task. Coordinating workflows,
setting expectations, dealing with personality conflicts ... a
manager’s work is never done. A company’s well-being relies on its
manager’s ability to handle a multitude of challenges; your success
as a manager will rest almost entirely on your ability to keep your
team motivated while producing quality results.
While every team and department (and manager) is different, there
are some management best practices that can help ensure that work
teams run smoothly and employees stay happy and productive.
Here are five you may want to consider:
1. Put the right people in the right
places
Make sure you know your employees’ specific strengths and skills,
and match them to tasks appropriately. For example, there is no
sense in asking Employee A to manage the monthly reporting charts
if Employee B has more experience with Microsoft(R) Excel(R). And
if you ask Employee C to deliver the customer presentation when
they have a fear of public speaking, you could just be setting them
up for failure.
When people’s skills are properly aligned with their
responsibilities, both productivity and job satisfaction will be
much higher. Be sure to actually ask your employees what they feel
their strengths and weaknesses are, rather than just relying on
your own judgement.
2. Results and productivity are what
matters
Unless you work in an environment where mandatory coverage during
certain times is required, for example in customer service or IT
help desk environments, enforcing or encouraging specific “clock
in” and “clock out” times can demotivate and demean your employees.
If you have hired employees that you trust, and the expectations of
them are clear, there should be no reason to closely monitor when
they come and go from the office as long as productivity is high
and goals are being met.
3. Don’t blame or shame
Projects don’t always go as planned. And when things go wrong, it’s
tempting to look around for someone to pin the blame on. However,
there’s a better way to find out what happened – and how to address
problems in the future. Don’t jump to conclusions, accuse anyone or
publicly criticise – instead, conduct an evaluation to determine
what went awry. If specific individuals are at fault, talk to them
privately to get their side of the story, and to set clear
expectations for the future.
4. Be consistent in your actions and
your communication
You might be surprised how observant your employees are. They
notice lots of things – and they will most likely talk amongst
themselves, too. For example, if you allow one employee to leave
the office early, but deny another employee the same request, it
will be noticed and discussed. Likewise, the team will notice if
you repeatedly praise one employee more than the others, which can
cause tension and mistrust within the team. You need to ensure that
you deal with each of your staff members equally and fairly.
5. Encourage teamwork and
collaborative outcomes
Environments where everyone pitches in and individuals are
encouraged to help each other out are usually very successful – and
fun, too! So encourage your team to share ideas, talk openly, and
exchange feedback. You can do that by establishing regular team
meetings, holding “team building” exercises and activities, and
rewarding the whole group for shared successes.