Even if you are not a manager in your organization, you will, at some point, have to execute some management roles.
What you need to remember is that management is not about swinging on your chair and commanding others around.
As a manager, you have a duty to guide your team towards the attainment of your business goals. You need to develop an array of skills, which will help you develop and nurture a management style that is unique to you.
But to become an effective and goal-oriented manager, you need to learn from those who came before you. That said, below are some amazing management lessons you can learn from the experts;
1. Get out of the way
As a first-time CEO or team manager, managing your team can be a vicious cycle. You are afraid that by delegating tasks, team members might to perform to their level best without your input.
Therefore, you are always on their toes. You want them to work, but you don’t want them to air any ideas that could speed up the attainment of business goals.
Since you believe you are the ultimate opinion shaper, you make all the decisions. In the end, things are done your way. But your way is not always the right way!
Seasoned CEOs stay out of their team’s way. They let them do their jobs, and only give their advice when the tasks have been completed.
This is a lesson you can learn from them. Sometimes, give responsibilities to your team members. Engage in other things that matter to the organization, learn about new competences and improve your own management knowledge.
Give advice when necessary. Be actively involved in the process, but critique after the tasks have been accomplished.
Doing this will give them a sense of belonging, and this can go a long way in boosting their productivity.
2. You feelings might be hurt
Just because you are the CEO or a business leader doesn’t mean that you are immune to criticism. In fact, you will constantly be a bearer of bad news, most of which will be about you, your personality, leadership style, and the business in general.
Don’t focus on things that hurt your feelings. Rather, focus on real issues and your role as the business leader.
By being the recipient of information that hurt, you will get feedback about what others think about you and the organization. This will place you in a better position to solve complex problems and manage issues before they become a crisis.
By being open to bad news and constructive criticism, you will not only become a better leader, but you will also be able to build trust with your employees.
3. Encourage opinions and ideas
Everyone has an opinion on everything. However, it becomes nearly impossible for employees to share their opinions for fear of ridicule and humiliation.
One lesson you need to learn from the best CEOs is that you need to encourage ideas and opinions. Of course, you might make some decisions swiftly for the good of the organization, but when necessary, involve employees in decision-making.
Give them an opportunity to air their views on how some things can be done to speed up the achievement of business goals and incorporate them when making the final decisions.
Encouraging opinions and ideas give employees a sense of belonging, which ultimately leads to improved productivity.
4. If you are new, avoid being overly helpful
Have you been appointed to a managerial post in a new company? Well, congratulations!
But before you start showcasing your management style, here is some advice – don’t move too fast.
As a new leader in the company, take time to understand how things work before implementing new ideas. Learn the kind of people you are working with and their diverse cultures so that you can know the dos and the don’ts when interacting with them.
Experts suggest that for the first two to six months as a manager in a new company, don’t engage too much in making changes. Take your time and prepare everyone for a change.
However, there are exceptions. You can become overly helpful in case there is a crisis, or you have to provide solutions to complex problems.
5. Bring fun to the workplace
Work without play makes a working day boring and unproductive. As a good manager or CEO, it’s your duty to bring and encourage fun in the workplace. Doing this doesn’t mean you drop the dress code, or you place a bowling alley in the boardroom.
It’s as simple as having casual conversations with your employees during downtime or having a dedicated breakroom where employees can gather and converse during breaks. Maybe set a foosball table or a dart board in the wall to relieve stress.
Bringing fun to the workplace motivates employees to come to work every day, thus boosting productivity.
6. Hire someone you will be happy to see every day
As a manager, it is your responsibility to maintain a culture, motivate employees, and build a successful business. Doing this is not a stroll in the park.
But you can make your professional life easier is you choose to hire people you will be happy to see every day, as opposed to hiring those who are just perfect on paper and in the interview.
Hire individuals who are both capable and nice. By having like-minded people in your team, you will doubtlessly accomplish tasks quickly and effectively, thus attaining organizational goals in no time.
7. Learn how to manage a virtual workforce
The modern workplace has changed significantly. Organizations have learned that they can save a lot of resources by hiring virtual employees as opposed to having offices. Same way that nowadays people do not go to physical gamblers, they rather bet online on the Kentucky Derby on such services as Twinspires.com.
One of the biggest lessons you can learn from seasoned managers is that you need to know the right strategies to manage a virtual and global workforce.
The ability to work from anywhere is simply amazing. Factually, today’s talent doesn’t want to operate from yesterday’s office. Therefore, invest in tools that will help you get the job done from team members who want to work from home.
With the above lessons, team management has never been easier. Implement them today, and you will always have yourself to thank.
