Creating a team of employees isn’t an easy task. It all starts by finding individuals with the adequate skills to fill in each position according to plan.
Many managers believe that hiring the right people is the first and the last step when it comes to building a great team. And, that is a mistake that can cost your business a lot.
Building a cohesive team with good chemistry is sometimes more important than finding top-notch experts. There are examples of teams of super-stars performing worse than a team of well-organized ‘underdogs.’
The key to establishing a great team and conducting management that will improve your organization as a whole lies in the atmosphere of cooperation, understanding, and mutual respect.
That is not easy to achieve, but implementing the following tips will surely help you become a better manager.
Transparent communication
You can’t be a good manager if you don’t have transparent communication with your team members. However, bear in mind this communication has to go both ways.
More precisely, you should choose your words but still say what’s on your mind. Also, your employees should be comfortable to share their ideas and concerns.
Of course, such communication is best handled in person but it’s not always possible to have one-on-one meetings with each team member. If you are managing a big team, you may want to invest in communication channels. Fortunately, nowadays there are many communication apps designed for the workplace.
Take this to your advantage and implement apps like Slack or Basecamp to your workplace. This way you will not only encourage better communication, but you will also boost collaboration between you and your team members.
If you have a remote team to manage, you should also look into VoIP phone system since it’s proven to be useful for remote team management. It established a reputation as a valuable tool, which is why more and more companies are using it.
Spend some time to talk to your employees face-to-face, but remember that one of the great time management hacks is the utilization of communication/collaboration tools.
Really get to know your team members
No employee is the same. It’s funny how many managers forget that, so make sure that you are not one of them.
Seeing that every team member is different, your behavior towards them should be different as well. Some employees may be good at improvising, while others are skilled at strategizing.
As a manager, you need to be aware of the skills of each team member. Then, set monthly or weekly goals according to their skills. You all need to be hungry for success, but don’t overdo it. Expecting too much can cause burnout and that is something no one wants.
When you learn what each individual has to offer, you will know what roles to assign. Once you get that right, you will have a system that performs well.
On top of that, if you get to know them on a more personal level, you will develop better trust which will make the team function even better. Therefore, this strategy is great both for engagement and motivation.
Utilize technology
Utilizing communication channels is just one way of using technology in the workplace. Nowadays, technology has become a part of almost every single aspect of a business.
It doesn’t matter if you are a team manager or product manager, knowing how various programs can automate your (and your employees’) work can significantly improve and speed up results.
Hence, it would be wise to do some online digging and look for platforms that will suit your workplace best.
For example, many product managers have Google Docs in their product management tools arsenal. Also, almost every modern workplace uses a collaboration program like Jira or Basecamp.
Why should someone dig through a pile of papers when looking for a client instead of accessing a database where they can find something in a matter of seconds?
Today it’s easy to find great software for such jobs. One great example is the MongoDB metabase, but there are many others you can explore and try out.
Programs mentioned above can help you send out files, messages, notifications, and many other things to your employees, with a single click of a button. Of course, it gives your employees the opportunity for faster and easier exchange as well.
It’s convenient, saves time, and will make your team more effective.
Give feedback, ask for feedback
Your employees would surely like to know how they are valued in the company. They would like to see what you think of their work and what they could do to improve it. Also, they will most certainly appreciate credit where credit is due.
Make it your goal to provide monthly or quarterly feedback that is detailed enough so each employee knows exactly what to improve. This way, you are not only doing a great thing for your business, but you are also helping your employees develop professionally.
So, hold regular assessments, even if everything is working fine. Of course, you should always offer your employees a chance to speak about any concerns they have.
The feedback needs to be constructive both for them and for you. In these situations, it is important to leave egos aside. Ask your team members how they feel about you, let them all have a say, and be respectful.
If your employees are hesitant when it comes to giving feedback, you can make an anonymous survey and ask each one of them to fill it out. Also, you can give them a choice to remain anonymous or sign their names.
Trust your team
Do everything you can to get to know your team members, then focus your attention on building trust.
As a leader, you need to recognize how to delegate tasks. Once you do that, you need to have some faith in your employees.
if you have created a competent staff, you don’t need to micromanage. As a manager, you need to know when to just leave your rockstars to do their job.
If you show signs that you don’t trust your employees, they will sense your distrust and start feeling insecure about themselves. That kind of atmosphere can only do harm in the workplace.
So, don’t peep around all the time, give everyone a chance to shine, and act accordingly once you get the results of their work.
Prevent burnout
You should set positive boundaries of work, play, and relaxation. Your employees know that they are in the office to put in the needed work, but don’t make it all about business.
You have a responsibility to set the precedent about when and where you all should be switching off from work to relaxation and vice versa.
One good example of this practice is not expecting your employees to check emails after working hours. Work should stay at work.
This can sometimes be difficult but allow flexibility to some extent. We are all different and we all have different needs. Never tailor someone else’s workdays according to yours. That can enrage people.
Unless you settle boundaries, you can cause employee burnout which is always bad, both for your business and for them.