5 tips to help you lead your
team to success
used with permission from
the HP Small Business Website
Managing a team is
rarely an easy task. Coordinating workflows, setting
expectations, dealing with personality conflicts, a
manager's work is never done. A company's well-being relies
on its manager's ability to handle a multitude of
challenges; your success as a manager will rest almost
entirely on your ability to keep your team motivated while
producing quality results.
While every team
and department (and manager) is different, there are some
management best practices that can help ensure that work
teams run smoothly and employees stay happy and productive.
Here are five you may want to consider:
1. Put the
right people in the right places
Make sure you know your employees' specific strengths and
skills, and match them to tasks appropriately. For example,
there is no sense in asking Employee A to manage the monthly
reporting charts if Employee B has more experience with
Microsoft€ Excel€. And if you ask Employee C to deliver the
customer presentation when they have a fear of public
speaking, you could just be setting them up for failure.
When people's
skills are properly aligned with their responsibilities,
both productivity and job satisfaction will be much higher.
Be sure to actually ask your employees what they feel their
strengths and weaknesses are, rather than just relying on
your own judgment.
2. Results and
productivity are what matters
Unless you work in an environment where mandatory coverage
during certain times is required, for example in customer
service or IT help desk environments, enforcing or
encouraging specific "clock in" and "clock out" times can
de-motivate and demean your employees. If you have hired
employees that you trust, and the expectations of them are
clear, there should be no reason to closely monitor when
they come and go from the office as long as productivity is
high and goals are being met.
3. Don't blame
or shame
Projects don't always go as planned. And when things go
wrong, it's tempting to look around for someone to pin the
blame on. However, there's a better way to find out what
happened - and how to address problems in the future. Don't
jump to conclusions, accuse anyone or publicly criticize —
instead, conduct an evaluation to determine what went awry.
If specific individuals are at fault, talk to them privately
to get their side of the story, and to set clear
expectations for the future.
4. Be
consistent in your actions and your communication
You might be surprised how observant your employees are.
They notice lots of things — and they will most likely talk
amongst themselves, too. For example, if you allow one
employee to leave the office early, but deny another
employee the same request, it will be noticed and discussed.
Likewise, the team will notice if you repeatedly praise one
employee more than the others, which can cause tension and
mistrust within the team. You need to ensure that you deal
with each of your staff members equally and fairly.
5. Encourage
teamwork and collaborative outcomes
Environments where everyone pitches in and individuals are
encouraged to help each other out are usually very
successful — and fun, too! So encourage your team to share
ideas, talk openly, and exchange feedback. You can do that
by establishing regular team meetings, holding "team
building" exercises and activities, and rewarding the whole
group for shared successes.
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