Whether you’ve just been assigned your first management position, or have been managing for a few years and want to continue to grow like farm names stardew, here are 8 best practices for successfully managing a team.
1. Recognize The Importance Of Your Staff:
I’ve been in environments where management would refer to their staff as “manpower.” This is not a positive message, and it demonstrates how little they actually value the efforts of their staff. The people you manage are the most valuable resource you have. Without them, your business wouldn’t exist. Your direct reports are key players in the success of your team, organization or company – without them, nothing gets done. As such, it is critical that you show them how much you value their contributions.
2. Understand That Leadership Does Not Come Naturally:
Even if you’ve been promoted to manage a team, it doesn’t necessarily mean you will be good at it. Managing is a skill that must be learned, just like any other. Put in the effort to learn how to lead your staff effectively. It may seem like it, but leadership is not something you are born with. It is not innate or instinctual for a manager to suddenly become transformed into an effective leader overnight…good managers are made through hard work and commitment to being the kind of leader they aspire to be.
3. Don’t Hire In Your Own Image:
It’s easy to hire people who are like you because you can relate to them. But, it is important that you get a diverse set of candidates. Diversity in background and skill-set will help ensure your team is strong and competent. Every manager has a vision for how his / her organization should be managed, but that does not mean every employee who fits the image is qualified to manage others in that way. When hiring new employees, it is tempting to make a comfort-based hiring decision by seeking out someone just like you – a peer or former colleague who will be easy to work with.
4. Be Clear About Expectations And Delegate Appropriately:
As a manager, it is important to communicate your expectations to your staff and set clear goals. Employees who are able to achieve the goals they are tasked with will be happy and productive – employees who don’t meet their goals may become frustrated or discouraged. It is easy to prepare people and empower them with expectation, but making your expectations clear often takes the form of a well-defined job description and subsequent responsibilities. To ensure you aren’t micromanaging your team, it is important that you are clear about your expectations before assigning a task to staff and then allow them to do their job without interfering.
5. Be Assertive:
Being assertive means knowing your limits and pushing back when needed. Managers are often in the position of having to take care of a lot of business, while still maintaining an environment where staff can do their jobs without feeling like they are being micromanaged. As a manager, it is important to be direct when communicating with your team. Avoid gossip, personal opinion, and unkindness and always focus on the task at hand. Although it is important to not micromanage, you should be assertive and direct when it comes to making decisions – especially regarding issues that your staff may feel uncomfortable addressing or need assistance with.
6. Establish A Respectful Relationship With Your Team:
Respect is key in every good relationship – especially between manager and direct reports. As a manager, it is imperative that you always treat your employees with respect, even if they are not meeting the goals you’ve set for them or may be having performance issues. Having a respectful relationship with your team will go a long way in fostering their commitment and productivity. What other way do you build a strong team than by establishing a respectful working relationship with your team throughout the course of the day?
7. Set The Example:
If you want your team to be productive and hard-working, you need to be the first one to come in early, leave late and go above and beyond when you are on the job. While you may be busy managing and executing a plan, it is easy for people to follow suit and do what they are told – but only if their manager is communicating their goals first (and respecting them).
8. Create A Culture Of Accountability:
It is one thing to have a bunch of people who work hard, but it is another thing to have a team that feels they are being held accountable. You are only as strong as your weakest link – when this holds true, so will the entire organization. While it is important to be a leader, you also need to foster a culture of accountability among your staff.
Conclusion:
These best practices are a set of guidelines – they are not absolute requirements, and may vary in your style and approach. However, if you want to be a good manager, these practices will get you started on the right track.
