12 Steps to Strengthening Your Management Skills
By Forbes Business Development Council
Mike’s Note: I am on holiday till end of May. During this time, I will select blogs I have read that I believe will support your leadership. Here is a great blog from Forbes on how to strengthen your management skills. Read on!
In today's competitive work environment, if company leaders plan to attract and retain the best talent to elevate their organization's progress and performance levels, it is key for managers to learn how to improve their ability to connect with their team authentically and effectively to generate a bond of trust and empathy that will continue to flourish.
Below, 12 experts from Forbes Business Development Council offer their most effective methods for others who want to become better leaders in their establishments.
Conduct Regular Feedback Sessions
One effective strategy for a manager to enhance their team management skills is conducting regular feedback sessions. Managers can foster a supportive environment, improve communication, and boost team morale by providing constructive feedback, actively listening to team members, and addressing concerns. - Dr. Saju Skaria, Digitech Services.
Foster A Trusting and Safe Work Environment
Open communication, transparency, and empathy are crucial, but building trust is the cornerstone. When your team members trust you and each other, they'll feel empowered to take creative risks and bring diverse perspectives to the table. This breeding ground of ideas can birth disruptive solutions with the potential to make a massive impact. - Quyen Pham, Releady.
Communicate Transparently About the Company's Performance
In a dynamic, international market, an effective strategy for a manager is to implement open and transparent communication. This builds trust, improves collaboration and boosts team engagement. Managers must encourage feedback, share goals and company performance openly and invest in team development. It is important to celebrate successes to motivate further achievements. - Umberto Cavallaro, AscoService.
Learn How to Be An Active Listener
Practice active listening to understand how your team thrives, and tell them how to best manage you for their success. Asking them to create a document detailing how they like to be led and their working style will help both you and them align on expectations. This approach combines the importance of understanding your team's preferences with clear communication about your management style. - Ashleigh Stanford, PracticeTek
Avoid Treating Your Employees Like Robots
Remembering that employees aren't robots is crucial—they have personal lives and may face mental health challenges. Empathizing, not treating them as mere productivity units, can boost performance. Managers understand staff's humanity, provide support when needed, cultivate trust and open communication, and inspire engagement and commitment. In short, transparency fosters better management. - Tina Gada, Vanguard Group.
Always Lead by Example
Be a role model and lead by example in all things. When I became a manager for the first time, I felt the heavy burden of responsibility, but with experience, I realized that if you embody the behaviors you want to see from your team, they will mimic you. For example, if you're open and honest with your communication style, you're more likely to see the same from your direct reports. - Ben Elder, Simpplr.
Create A Solid Foundation to Build On
Even the best managers fail when they don't have visibility into what their team is working on. A unified technology suite ensures managers can adjust priorities on the fly and course-correct failing projects before they veer too far off. These systems also provide metrics on team member performance to ensure alignment between employees and employers. Great managers start from a solid foundation. - Vijay Sundaram, Zoho Corporation
Invite Your Team to Be Problem Solvers
Listen before reacting. Leaders tend to be incredible problem solvers, but in the process can hinder their team’s growth and ability to solve issues. Ask team members to bring solutions not problems. While leaders want to be available to talk through solutions, coaching team members to bring their own ideas to the table can increase their own growth and also shine a light on new perspectives. - Jessica McDowell, TD SYNNEX
Seek New Ideas from Real-Life Role Models
It's essential to be inspired by real-life role models who impress you. Choose two—ideally from different industries, cultures, or backgrounds. This will broaden your outlook and give you a more diverse perspective. Be a geek and develop a research habit: Soak up business and psychology books and podcasts and be constantly open to new ideas that you can think about on the go. - Anna Jankowska, RTB House
Be Willing to Let Others Shine
Give creative freedom to your team members. Do not impose your perspectives on theirs, thwarting their point of view altogether. Many managers talk about developing a culture based on accommodating varying ideas and free thinking. Still, they aren’t ready to abandon the very medieval authoritative attitude: "If it is to be, it is up to me." - Praneeth Kudithipudi, Sacumen
Understand Your "WHY-HOW-WHAT" Employees
I like the idea of WHY-HOW-WHAT teams. Divide your team into three groups. The "WHY-employees" see the meaning and philosophy behind each big task. The "HOW employees" are leaders who understand how things work and how to make them effective. The "WHAT-employees" handle the everyday tasks that lead the team to success with quality. - Dima Raketa, Reputation House
Experience Your Team's Daily Challenges to Gain Perspective
I like the idea of spending a day every quarter working in a different role within your team or department, performing tasks, and experiencing the challenges first-hand. This can increase both empathy and morale, as well as provide valuable insights into potential areas for improvement. By stepping into your team's shoes, you gain a deeper understanding of their daily hurdles. - Bryce Welker, The CPA Exam Guy.