Becoming a Better Manager

Becoming a manager is a big step in your professional career. While it’s certainly exciting to advance, there’s also much to learn about leading a team—and that’s true whether you’re just starting out in a management role or have years of experience. People are complex, so there’s no one-size-fits-all approach to becoming an excellent leader.

1. Build genuine relationships

Effective managers go into every meeting or conversation with the intention to build healthy, collaborative working relationships. Making time to understand and get to know your team members is just as important as sharing technical knowledge or running through what’s hot on an employee’s to-do list.

2. Communicate clearly and consistently

Communication can be a challenge, especially if you are managing a team of people working remotely or in different locations. Whatever it takes to make yourself available when your employees want to talk is crucial: email, phone, chat. Good managers use whatever tools and tech they can to keep in contact: Happy hours, one-on-one weekly meetings, regular phone calls, chats and emails are all ways to keep connected.

3. Focus on your vision

A good manager isn’t just friendly and chatty with their employees. There’s a job to do, and that must be top of mind for anyone leading a team through any project or goal.

Effective leadership requires steady focus on the direction you want to go. The best managers make this direction clear to their team.

4. Practice delegation

When some individuals first become managers, they react by trying to do everything themselves and taking on more work with many new leaders afraid to delegate tasks, this robs your employees of opportunities in which they can learn and grow.

Letting your team figure out things doesn’t imply any of that. You’re giving them space to problem-solve and connect with others on the team, while still offering coaching and assistance from the side. Even if it takes you an hour to teach someone something that takes you five minutes, it’s worth it in the long run. Don’t be afraid to flex your management muscles and start assigning duties. In the long run you’ll grow a stronger team and have more time to focus on higher-level challenges and initiatives.

5. Model the kind of work you seek

People respond to actions they see around them. Make sure you are actively modelling for your employees the type of work you value for the job you’re there to do.

Need people who can collaborate across teams? Collaborate with other team leaders and create opportunities for your employees to do the same. Need teams that can give you long hours when it’s time to launch a product? Roll up your own sleeves and hunker down beside them.

“Becoming a role model for your team can help them acquire the important abilities they need to succeed. “If you see a team member demonstrating a favourite trait, make sure to compliment them.”