Author: Ieva Baranova / Source: Lifehack
Being an efficient manager and a charismatic boss at the same time can seem like an impossible task. Is there a way to deliver the desired results for your business while remaining liked and respected by your staff?
We all know bad examples of team leaders who seem to fail at one aspect or the other, or even at both.
But we’ve also heard of awesome managers who seem to juggle both things well enough.How do they do it?
By sticking to few proven ways that let them maintain a positive karma score while remaining efficient. In this article, we’ll guide you through 11 smart management tips on how to lead a team and become something more than a boss – a leader.
1. Find a Management Strategy and Stick to It
There’s nothing worse than a boss that keeps changing his or her opinions and assignments depending on their mood or a book they read this week. Chaotic decisions increase the insecurity and frustration of your team, so you better find your strategy and stick to it.
If you do find some new methods you want your staff to follow, make sure they don’t contradict the general direction you are taking. Otherwise, you risk making your team take one step forward and two steps back.
2. Set Goals and Track Progress in Reaching Them
Set individual and collective goals for your team and track the progress in reaching them. This might sound obvious at first, but too often we find ourselves stuck between daily customer requests and monthly reports, and the bigger goal or vision seems to fade away.
According to Elon Musk (and many other successful CEOs around the Globe), it’s crucial to have a clear and motivating aim to where the company is heading. His aim for the space transportation company SpaceX is “to make humankind a multi-planetary species”.[1] That’s a huge goal but the company is slowly moving closer to it by reaching smaller steps and milestones, like launching self-landing rockets. This is also a very inspiring and meaningful goal that helps employees endure the company’s extremely high expectations and 60 to 70-hour work weeks.[2]
Even if your goals are not as grand, setting and reaching milestones will give you a clear insight into the team’s overall efficiency and daily progress. With time, you will be able to see the weak spots and improve your results.
3. Demand Learning from Your Team
CEO of print on demand startup Printful, Davis Siksnans, believes that:[3]
“The key for a company going through rapid growth is to empower your employees’ self-development.”
His company with 500 employees spanning two continents demands a culture of learning and provides all the tools necessary to do it.
Their idea is – as the company scales, people have to grow in their positions too, which means that they have to be constantly learning. Siksnans says:
“We try to hire people for what they might become, but they need to have that drive.“
Alternatively, you can provide educational courses for your employees or invite informal lecturers to educate and inspire your team. You can also encourage peer-to-peer learning by asking employees to teach their particular experience or skill to co-workers.
4. Invest in a Pleasant Work Environment
Studies show that a well-designed office environment can increase your team’s overall performance by as much as 20%. You’ll be surprised to see that even very small interior tweaks that don’t require major investments can improve your workers’ performance.
Some ideas for a more productive and pleasing work environment:
- Invest in modern furniture – offer ergonomic chairs, standing desks, and individually arranged workplaces.
- Start an in-house library – reading for pleasure just 30 minutes a day is proven to be enough to become more effective at work,[4] improve focus, and deal with problems like depression and anxiety.
- Play jazzy office music – rhythmic background music will help workers feel more energetic and enthusiastic while doing everyday tasks.
- Set up entertainment or break rooms – being able to relax and have fun at work creates a strong commitment, helps employees relax and clear their minds, and boosts productivity.
- Bring in uplifting office decor – it’s been found that art in the workplace can boost productivity,[5] lower stress, and even encourage employees to innovate.
- Decorate the office with live plants for freshness and a welcoming feel. Furthermore, plants are found to ensure better air quality and increase workers’ productivity by 15%.[6]
5. Be Kind and Sincere to Your Team
Did you know that 50% of employees quit because they dislike working with their manager?[7] In fact, most times when people leave their jobs they actually leave their managers. Being friendly and sincere may not be enough to be a successful manager, but it’s a big part of it.
Some ways to show you appreciate and care for your staff:
- Celebrate the progress and achievements of your employees. And don’t be shy to simply say thanks.
- Talk to your employees regularly and really listen to what they have to say. Address their concerns, help them reach their goals and do your best to improve their work and daily life.
- If you’re having a bad day, don’t pour out your stress…
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