Transitioning into a new role as a manager for the first time is an exciting opportunity but can also bring some challenges. Unlike an individual contributor role, you’re now responsible for the success of others – which requires various leadership skills and traits. In this blog post, we cover best practices to adopt so you can move into your new management role with success.
What is Team Management?
First, it is important to define exactly what team management is. Team management involves the ability to build a successful team environment through productive collaboration, clear goal setting, communication, and active listening. Efficient management skills are crucial because they help employers feel more productive and motivated.
If there was any one tip that can help, it is that there is no single skill that makes an effective team manager. There are many aspects of an efficient team that can be representative of strong leadership.
An environment that is indicative of great management skills is one where:
- Everyone has a clear understanding of what their responsibilities are
- There is a clear desire to achieve company and team goals
- Managers and supervisors conduct regular check-ins with their employees
This third point is especially important as using these check-ins can give managers a chance to listen to employee feedback and input any changes into their system to create a healthier environment. The best way a manager can do this is to lead by example by maintaining a good work-life balance and finishing tasks on time. It is also important to ensure that employees are transparent about the struggles they face at work and discuss an action plan for how they can solve them. Open communication and even sharing team management plans are very meaningful when it comes to making your employees feel valued.
Leading by example can help your company define its culture. In today’s business world, culture is extremely important to the efficiency of your workers. Defining the culture helps create an environment where employees remain focused on their work at their most efficient rather than having to worry about external factors.
There are several ways in which a team manager can shape a culture:
- Connect with your employees on a personal level and show your excitement whenever a goal is met or there is progress towards one. Showing your excitement will contribute to team members feeling excited to participate in team activities or work towards team goals
- Positive reinforcement is key. Do not give recognition purely for completing a task, but for doing it as well. After a task is completed is a suitable time to give actional feedback and additional positive reinforcement
- As a team discuss your company’s goals so that employees know what is worth focusing on and how they can reach those goals together with you
When defining these goals together, it is important that you offer a clear vision. It can be easy to be swept up in daily tasks and solving problems, but it is important to not get side-tracked from your original goals. Managers can use team management software to help maintain their teams’ focus while also creating a direction for achieving the goals you all established together.
It is also important for managers to encourage collaboration amongst the team. Software that contains a customizable project tracking template can be a huge help with tracking tasks, deadlines and making changes. The workload of individual employees is also important for a manager to keep in mind for successful team management. Individual employees are assigned tasks based on several factors including skill, experience, and competency. It is important to make sure that every employee is given a fair workload, because if a manager gives a single individual an unmanageable workload it can lead to employees feeling burnt out.
Since the pandemic, there has also been an increase in remote and hybrid workers in the workforce. Managing remote and hybrid team members has its own challenges. When working with members of your company who do work from home, it is important to ensure scheduling meetings correctly and preventing miscommunication. The best way to overcome these is for managers to use a plan that works for remote, hybrid, and in-person workers. Using a remote plan to organize remote worker feedback allows employees to be more engaged with the team.
As more employees get hired and onboarded, it is important to create an organized, fair, and collaborative environment for them so that your organization’s goals can be met and your employees are engaged.
Accurate provides tips for those looking on best practices for hiring employees so that you can make informed and successful decisions for the future. Contact us today to see how Accurate can fit into your hiring goals.
