The most crucial decision you can make as a manager is trying to be better. It's not hard or complicated. But once you get started, there may be challenges along the way, as success does not come overnight.
The benefits of becoming a good manager will pay off over your career. You'll improve on key metrics like employee retention and company performance. It will become easier to manage employees and derive the best performance from them as they will be more engaged and responsive. So, how do you become a better manager? Consider these tips:
Any ordinary manager can know each person who works for them by name. To be truly great, go the extra mile and know the names of people who matter most to your employees. It may be their spouses, kids, or even pets. Make a point of asking how their support system is faring.
Beyond formal team profiles, take time to learn more about your employee's backgrounds. Find out where they come from and what drives them. You can have individual interactive sessions with each team member. Don't let the end of the year office party or bring your child to the workday go to waste either. Utilise every opportunity to foster more meaningful connections.
Before the work commences, encourage your team members to perform at their best level. You don't need big gestures or extrinsic motivators. Motivation may be as simple as holding a team meeting to rally everyone towards the same goal.
After the team successfully delivers, show appreciation and recognise good efforts. A lot of managers get confused about what to do when it comes to recognising employees., A well-thought-out message or public recognition may go a long way in making employees feel appreciated.
Career development through upskilling and reskilling is becoming a priority for many workers. Factors such as the impact of COVID-19 and the drive towards automation have left many insecure in their roles. Similarly, there are team members who are striving to claim the career ladder.
Part of being a good manager is finding ways to help employees grow by enhancing their expertise and knowledge. Find opportunities to offer learning programs, stretch assignments, or job rotation. Pick employees to attend seminars or lead meetings.
Employees must count on your expertise and trust your decisions. You also need to display competency when offering answers and solving their challenges.
No one enjoys a manager who doesn’t follow through on their promises, or shifts blame when it’s convenient. Being reliable means that you stick to your decisions. You stand up for your team even when there is more scrutiny from corporate.
Hold consultative sessions before making consequential decisions that will greatly impact your employees. You can communicate impending changes or the direction the company may take with a major issue.
Similarly, adopt an open-door policy where anyone can approach you with a problem. Reserve criticism for the employee's ideas or actions, not attacking or demeaning their character.
Foster more coercive and interactive teams by encouraging collaborations. If your team is remote, think of having more face-to-face meetings.
You can use technology to your advantage to run projects more smoothly. For instance, a remote work management platform such as WorkPilot can help with assigning tasks, establishing workflows, creating shareable checklists, and more!
