Learning how to become a better manager is a combination of daily mindful efforts and experience. The best managers work hard to motivate individuals, communicate effectively and organize their teams to maximize efficiency. While there’s no immediate fix to morph into a better manager, these five steps can help you develop into a more thoughtful, trusted and successful manager.
Build your team
Select the best people from the start and figure out how to organize them into a high-functioning team. Get to know your employees as individuals and learn what they want and how you can mold their given desires and skills into tasks and responsibilities that power your team. Learn to delegate and clearly communicate your expectations. In the long run, it’s worth investing the time to teach them how to do things you could easily do. The more time you save by delegating, the more time you can devote to advancing and evaluating team goals.
Motivate your team
Encourage your employees to work hard by acknowledging their successes and efforts. Be patient with their failures and don’t dwell on imperfections or what’s lacking. Instead, praise the process and improvements they’ve made. Show them you value their well-being and they’re more than just a bottom line, and they’ll be motivated to do their best work.
Communicate with your team
It’s important to let your team know pertinent information, including clear direction toward company goals. Give feedback and constructive criticism with care—one uncomfortable conversation can correct a serious problem in the long term. A good manager listens to their employees as much as possible and validates and responds to concerns appropriately. Schedule one-on-one meetings—they don’t have to be all business; a simple 10-minute coffee run is plenty sometimes. You want to check in, hear feedback and show you’re engaged and committed.
Build trust
Be prepared to be a leader, not just a manager. Lead by example to show you’re committed to company goals, too. You’re human, so bravely acknowledge your weaknesses. Let your employees know you look to improve yourself in the same ways you expect them to.
Empower your team
An ideal manager develops a team of competent problem solvers, not powerless minions who rely on them to solve every little problem. Help your employees grow and learn to handle issues and hiccups on their own, so you can be more hands-off and focus on more important matters.
For more tips on how to effectively manage a team, contact us today.
Ty Culver is the Client Development Director of CulverCareers focusing on talent acquisition and workforce solutions with a wide variety of local, national and global clients.
Ty has been working in various aspects of the industry for over 10 years and developed deep expertise in Executive Search, Executive Benefit and Talent Acquisition Programs along the way. He has a range of experience from SMB to Enterprise clients and hyper specific executive searches to high volume recruiting with companies in a dynamic state of flux.
Today, Ty leads a talented team of Talent Acquisition Specialists, Executive Recruiters and Client Success Managers at one of the most respected Recruiting Firms in the Nation, CulverCareers. While leadership is a key aspect of his role, Ty still enjoys working with clients on recruiting strategies, executive benefit solutions and workforce solutions to help clients build a holistic approach to talent acquisition and talent retention.