Managing a team is often something that comes as a natural progression in business. You will work your way up, and then get to a point where you can lead a team with your skills and expertise. But even then, and even when you’ve created your own business, the skills needed to be able to lead a team well aren’t necessarily going to be the things that you'll have your training and expertise in.
Managing well is something that can be learned, but you need to be able to acknowledge in yourself that you need to improve.
Here are some tips on being the best manager possible:
Recruit Wisely
If you have a say in who joins your team and you can take part in the recruiting process, you then have the power to choose the right people right off the bat. Look at experience, skills, and knowledge, but also choose the team members that are going to fit well with the rest of your team, and have shown that they are capable of being adaptable and motivated.
Degrees and qualifications are great, but the candidate also needs to be likeable and possess the same morals and values of the company to be a great fit.
Motivate
There are extra responsibilities and facets of the job that come when you're a manager, and one of those is that you're the person that people will look up to. You really need to set the tone for your team. As they are looking up to you, they won’t feel motivated or inspired if you aren't. So when they come in each morning, as what you can you do to motivate them.
Being a motivator is really important as a leader. You could take the time out to help them with setting goals or achieving their KPI's. Some people just need a little push in the right direction to get back on track and feeling inspired again.
Educate yourself on how to motivate! Motivation by Lambert Deckers is a great book to read for those wanting to gain a deeper understanding of what motivates us as humans.
Have the right tools in place
The saying goes that a bad workman blames his tools, but in reality, if you and your team don’t have the right things in place, it can hinder what you're able to do as a business. Being a good leader means that your team are well-equipped to get the job done, with their skills and knowledge, as well as with the physical things that they will need.
Many businesses are considering an HRIS (a human resources information system) as a way to help lead their team as it is a practical solution. Having software like that, that can help to automate manual processes or save your business and team time is going to help.
Be a Communicator
Good communication is one of the most important skills that a manager or leader needs to have. You might have chosen a great team and have the right software and tools in place, but if you aren’t able to manage the team well through communication, then it can all be wasted. You need to be able to communicate your vision, as well as being able to know what your team want, so that you can best motivate them and work with them.
