Are you looking to become a better manager? Whether you have recently landed your first managerial role or are an experienced manager simply looking to improve your performance, there are many areas to focus on and ways to achieve this. Being a better manager will improve your workplace performance. Still, it will help you get more from your team, form stronger relationships, and take the company forward – it could even improve your personal life in several ways. If you are looking to become a better manager in 2020, then read on for a few tips.
Read About Leadership
A good manager is someone that knows how to lead properly, and there are lots of excellent books about leadership that can teach you a huge amount about how to excel in a management role through leadership. In addition to business, you might also find it helpful to read about some of the greatest leaders throughout history. There are certainly many messages that translate over into the business world and could help you improve your abilities as a manager and inspire you.
Learn to Listen
One lesson which you are sure to learn when reading about leadership is the importance of listening to your team. There is a misconception that the best leaders are the ones that always know best and lead from the front, but this is not the case, and instead, a good leader will listen to those around them and then use this information to make an informed decision. Your team will provide unique insight and may have specialist knowledge, plus when you involve your team in decision-making, it will help them feel valued and create the right mentality. When your team feel valued and listened to, their performance will improve immensely, and you will find that they can be incredibly loyal workers.
Get to Know Each Team Member
Following this, a good leader will know all about their team and use this information to their advantage. When you know your staff’s strengths and weaknesses, you can use them to the best of their ability while also maximizing their strengths and boosting their confidence. You should also listen to what their career goals are and find ways to help them achieve this within the company, and see if there are ways that you can sponsor their training like sending them on courses, because the better trained they are, the more likely they will stay with the company thanks to the time and money that you put into developing their professional skills. You should try to get to know them on a personal level so that you can build positive relationships and create the right atmosphere in the workplace.
Find the Line Between Manager & Friend
While you certainly should develop relationships with your team members, it is still important that you and they understand that you are the boss and that your relationship will always be different from that of other employees. You need to command respect while still being someone that employees like and enjoy spending time with. You can achieve this by making sure that work comes first, by always maintaining professionalism even outside of the workplace, and by showing an interest without overstepping the mark.
Set Goals
Goal setting is a very effective motivation strategy that will keep individual staff members and the entire team moving forwards at all times. You should set achievable and regular goals for both individuals and the team and incentivize them with something fun and/or enjoyable. You must also always give praise when these goals are met.
Give Positive Feedback
Leading on from this point, you should also make sure that you are giving positive feedback regularly. A simple “good work” or similar praise can make a huge difference to employees and help them know that they are appreciated and doing what they are supposed to do. Of course, you also need to be able to give constructive criticism, but this should always be done in private and focused on what they can do to improve as opposed to what they have been doing wrong.
Be Budget Conscious
There are many important responsibilities as a manager but one that often gets overlooked is being financially conscious. You obviously want your team to succeed, but if you can do this while using cost-effective resources, you will look even better and certainly catch the attention of your superiors. Tracking your expenses will obviously be essential and may help you find a few ways to make savings, but when looking to save, make sure that it does not make work harder for your team.
Lead by Example
You will never command respect as a manager if you do not lead by example. You cannot ask your staff to put in 100% each day if you are showing up late, slacking off, and the first to leave, so you must be setting a good example. People will tend to adopt the approach that their superior has, so you will want to be enthusiastic, professional, hard-working, and positive, which will help to inspire the team and help you improve your own personal performance.
Commit to Self-Improvement
Following this, as a manager, you should always be looking to improve as this will help you excel, improve your team’s performance, and help you climb the ladder. The key here is to identify what areas you need to improve on, and this might be something that you are aware of, but if not, you could speak to your superior or even ask your team for feedback. Like working on your presentational skills, even something small can make a big difference and show your commitment to self-improvement.
Earn an Online MBA
Similarly, you should look at qualifications to improve and boost your resume, and there is no qualification better than an online MBA. An online MBA will arm you with the knowledge that you need to excel in a managerial role and help you get more from your team and see the big picture. In addition to this, taking an online MBA is ideal for those already working because it is easier to fit into your schedule, and you can start applying what you learn during your online MBA as you work. You can also complete an online MBA in just one year.
Use Team Building
As you will learn on an online MBA, your team will never thrive and achieve their targets if they are not unified, and as the manager, this is something that you can encourage (but not force). In addition to creating a welcoming atmosphere and encouraging communication in the workplace, you should also be using team building, which can be highly effective. They may be cheesy, but team-building events and activities can effectively bring people together and build relationships. In addition to these types of activities, you may also want to arrange a few informal after-work events where people can be more relaxed as it is often at these types of events where the strongest bonds are made even if you are not present (do not take offense if you are not invited to all social events).
Encourage Collaboration & Teamwork
Collaboration and teamwork should also be encouraged because this can unite your team, improve the quality of work, and allow for role variation, which will keep staff happy and engaged. Collaboration and teamwork also allow you to utilize the strengths of individual staff members, as mentioned above.
Do Not Be Afraid of Making Adjustments
As a manager, it can feel daunting to make adjustments to the operation – this is particularly true if you are new to the organization or if you have been there for a long time, and it has always been the same way. It is easy to assume that the current way of working is the best, but it could often be improved, especially when you consider the software and technology available in 2020. This is why you should not shy away from making adjustments but always make sure that any changes are carefully researched and, if possible, backed up by data. As mentioned earlier, often the best way to find areas to improve is by listening to your team and working together to find solutions.
Avoid Micromanaging
Another common mistake that managers make is micromanaging. This is detrimental in a few ways as it does not communicate trust to your staff; it takes up your own time and can place unnecessary stress on employees. Instead, you should trust your team and show confidence that they know how to get the work done. This should involve encouraging autonomy as everyone has their best way of working, and this should always be encouraged as a manager.
Develop Your Team
A good business manager will focus on self-improvement and look to take steps to develop their own team. Recruiting the right people to your team is obviously an important starting point, but you should then look to develop each staff member to help them excel in their role and help them achieve their goals. For example, suppose you have an ambitious staff member who has aspirations of becoming a manager themselves one day. In that case, you should encourage this and consider signing them up for an online MBA or a similar qualification. Developing your team is important for both improving performance while also keeping staff happy, motivated, and loyal.
Be Transparent
Employees do not like to feel like they are being kept in the dark and only there to carry out their role. This is why you should always be transparent, to help people see the big picture when it comes to the business and involve staff members in discussions. This helps to break down the division between management and employees, which can help take the business forward, improve relationships, and help employees feel valued and an important part of the company.
Create A Welcoming Office Space
It is amazing the difference that the office space can have on employee performance and morale. For your team to work to a high standard each day, you should have a welcoming office space with comfortable furniture, plenty of natural light, tasteful decor, and space to work. It is also important to make sure that people are taking regular breaks (including yourself) and that there are places where they can go to relax and recharge throughout the day.
Learn to Switch Off After Work
As a manager, it is sometimes hard to switch off even once you get home as you have such an important role, and you will constantly be brainstorming. This is dangerous as it could lead to burnout as well as affect your personal life, which is why it is so important to be able to switch off once you have finished work for the day. This might include getting changed straight away, exercising, meditating, a hobby, or anything else that will help you mark the end of the working day.
Lead A Healthy Lifestyle
Following this, it is also important that you lead a healthy lifestyle. This is obviously something that you should be doing anyway for your own well-being, but it can also greatly impact your performance as a manager. Being a manager is a stressful, demanding, and time-consuming role, so it is important that you are fit, healthy, and happy in your life. This should involve regular exercise, eating a healthy diet, getting enough sleep, finding ways to relax, and socializing with loved ones. Additionally, if you feel that you are struggling, then you should always reach out to someone.
Anyone looking to become a better manager should focus on the above points. Being a manager is a real skill, and it is one that can inevitably be developed over time, along with qualifications like an online MBA. Still, for those looking to make fast improvements, these are all effective ways to do this and hopefully allow you to improve your performance, get the most out of your team, and develop better relationships with your team members.