Managerial roles are tough, no matter how easy they seem. You have to deal with two different parties while managing your own responsibilities. There is senior management and there are your subordinates, and you have to keep them both happy, engaged, and meet all the deadlines. If you don’t have experience and proper discipline, you mess up many things. Here are a few tips that will make your job easier for you.
1. Be Humble and Teachable
Although you are a manager and supposed to teach your subordinates, make sure you don’t let it get to your head. You are human and prone to mistakes. You might know a lot, but you don’t know everything. There wouldn’t be a more embarrassing situation if you showed arrogance about something where you were wrong. You also lose respect this way, which is very important for a manager. Make sure you listen to everyone, appreciate them, and learn yourself.
2. Use Technology for Effective Management
You don’t need to stick to old methods for your management. Today’s jobs and the market is more competitive than before, and you have to use every tool that can help you. Keeping track of every little thing is too much for a manager. You need to keep data, engage the team, and process projects, which would be difficult without the help of technology. You can visit this site to get a workforce management program to help you with all these tasks to avoid any mistakes.
3. Better Boss than Friend
Many new managers are stuck between the choice to become a friend with their subordinates or boss. You should be friendly with all your team members, but it’s better not to become a friend. It would be difficult if someone doesn’t follow your instructions, makes a mistake, or you have to fire them. Although you are a manager, you can’t keep a liability in the company.
It will become a problem for you when it comes out. Everything incorporates is transparent and you can’t keep protecting someone just because he/she is your friend. It would also not be fair to other employees who work hard to maintain their positions. If you have to make a choice, always become a boss instead of a friend.
4. Develop Listening Skills
A manager has to do the job of a psychologist more often than you might think. If your team members are not sharing their problems with you, it means they don’t trust you. Employees go to their managers for all their problems and many of them are stupid. They may not always be very formal and say things that might infuriate you. However, that’s a part of the job of a manager. Develop skills to listen to anything and remain calm. You will be able to make the right decision according to the situation only if you are cool. You lose your authority when you get angry.
5. Review Performance of Each Employee
Conduct employee performance sessions every few months to discuss what and how they did their job. Make these sessions more about how well they have performed instead of criticizing them. However, you also have to make sure that no one gets overconfident and ask for a ridiculous raise. On the other hand, if you miss even one of their good qualities, they will get discouraged.
6. Don’t Ask What You Can’t Do Yourself
Become an exemplary leader if you want their respect. Don’t ask them to do something that you wouldn’t do yourself. If you want them to be punctual, make sure you never give them a reason to question your punctuality. This gives you a strong standing when implementing policies.
7. Show Them a Career
You must show them a ladder that they can climb. It’s the job of a manager to get employees to work not only for salaries but for good for the company. It is only possible when you motivate them. Just the motivation of increment and incentives is not enough. You have to show them a career in your company, or they will leave the company as soon as they get a better offer. There is always a company that would be willing to pay more. It is especially true when it comes to skilled employees.
You should create a proper hierarchy from junior to senior and then managerial posts according to their experience and value they offer to the company. This will get the employees to stay for even decades. People who work for such a long time do their best not to let the company fall. And it is employees that determine the success of a business, not its C-Level officers.
8. Create a Competition
You stop learning when you feel you know everything there is to know. There is always something more to learn. Even if you are doing a great job, there would still be something you can do to make it even better. As wise people say, there is always room for improvement.
If you want your employees to keep pushing their limits, learn new things and offer it for the good of the company, you must create an environment with friendly competition. Seeing others going ahead, everyone will try to keep up and outdo others. They won’t do anything new if they know the next promotion is theirs. Get them to work for it or they will take it for granted.
9. Conduct Teaching Sessions
It’s your job as an employer to not only just serve the company but also its employees. You should occasionally conduct learning sessions in which you can share your experience with them. It will build your image as an authority figure and all your team members will appreciate you sharing your knowledge.
People are aware that most seniors don’t share their experience and knowledge with juniors in the fear they might one day replace them. You, as a manager, will become their mentor. They will know that this company is not only offering salary and growth opportunities, but they also educate and groom their employees.
