Great people management is a skill that not many people naturally possess. It takes lots of practice and many mistakes to learn how to effectively manage a group of people who typically will differ a great deal from one another. Unfortunately, lack of good management skills can lead to the downfall of a business as it can affect the productiveness and loyalty of the staff. However, with patience and effort you can improve your management skills, especially if you truly want to be better. Follow this guide to learn five things great managers do every day.

Be Honest

A great manager is someone who can be trusted. To achieve trust you must avoid evading facts or putting a spin on things. Although in certain situations it may seem better for the business not to reveal the full details to your team when it comes to things that relate directly to their daily tasks you must try to be as honest as possible. Honesty fosters trust and promotes an open culture amongst all team members. Straightforwardness also encourages efficiency and productivity. When the team is in disarray and feel misled or in the dark about things it will tend to cause distraction.

Manager sitting with two employees in a meeting

Set an Example

Now that you are in a leadership role, it is important that you lead by example how you would like your staff to behave. This means no complaining or cattiness. Avoid being swept up in the company gossip and maintain a positive attitude that is reflected in your actions as well as your speech. Staff will always assume if the manager thinks it’s okay, then it’s okay for them to do as well. Plus telling someone off for something you do yourself will breed resentment and lower the respect held for you.

Nurture People’s Strengths

Instead of trying to force someone to fit the mould of a position or a task that goes against their strengths, give them tasks that they will excel in. Most people enjoy doing things well and success tends to spur people on to doing even more. People are typically happier when they can apply their strengths to their job and a happy team makes a successful business.

manager standing infront of crowd of staff delegating tasks

Give Relevant and Meaningful Feedback

One-to-one are sometimes a requirement for organisations, however it can be extremely beneficial to hold these regularly even if it isn’t in the mandatory requirements. Unfortunately, any of these one on one meetings are so poorly organised with little thought put into the feedback that they are quite pointless and a waste of time. Great managers dedicate time to each staff member and produce relevant information tailored to each individual that will positively affect their work ethic. Not only will this improve the productivity of the team but it will be appreciated that you have paid attention to each individual’s strengths and weaknesses and show enough interest to want to help them progeress.

Face Conflict Head On

Nothing in life is perfect. Conflict is inevitable where people are involved. Don’t let things fester, address the issue kindly and concisely.

 

Categories: Business