What is effective management? It’s the ability to maximize the efficiency of operations, to delegate responsibilities and roles among employees and team members, and to achieve objectives. Here are the thirteen most effective management skills you’ll want to develop and retain.
1. Lead
A manager’s there to provide guidance. They are the be-all and end-all. They give direction, resolve disputes, and keep everyone on the ball. To have your team members perform, a manager should demonstrate the work ethic and achievement they want to see. When employees see you working as hard as them, that’s what earns respect and develops your effective management skills.
2. Create leaders
If you’re the only leader in the room, that’s a big obstacle to developing effective management skills. You’re not a leader managing peasants, you’re a manager developing leaders. Challenge your employees. Inspire them to grow. When you create managers and leaders from your team, this is an effective business management style because you limit the time and effort you’ve to put in. You also limit micro-managing, and give your team members space to act and feel ownership in their work.
3. Play the environment
If people hate coming to work for in the environment or under the terms given, productivity will lag. Create a setting you know team members will appreciate and want to exist in. Get them excited about coming to work. If you can make work fun, you’ve created an attractant around which team members will want to congregate and act.
4. You work for your team
A leader is only as good as the team they work for. Note that. A team doesn’t work under a manager – a manager works for the team. They’re there as a servant to ensure the team has everything they need to accomplish the roles you give them. Mutual respect and coordination are core components to developing effective management skills.
5. Hire and develop the right team members
The team members you choose will determine a lot about your management success. Ensure those you surround yourself with are suitably qualified, have the necessary skillset to act, and retain only those who sustain a committed, reliable job performance.
6. Identify under-achievers
Who is underachieving on your team – define why. In some cases, it may be a case you’ve selected the wrong person for the job. In other cases, it may be because a role isn’t well-resourced. If someone’s not receiving the tools or support they need to act to the level of efficiency you require, get them and give them.
7. Communications to your team
There should be no confusion about an employee’s role or a team member’s responsibility. Communicating clearly is a key every successful manager has. If you’re not an effective communicator, your management is as good as done. Ensure you give clear, concise guidance that cannot be misinterpreted or where there’s any confusion.
8. Long-term planner, short-term actor
Plan for the long-term. Have a clear vision for where you want to go and where you need to be. Then, craft short-term steps to accomplish on the way there. When you break up what may resemble insurmountable into a series of easily achievable goals, you keep you and your team on the pathway to accomplishing what you set out for monthly, quarterly, annually, and beyond.
9. Solve problems quickly and fairly
When there’s a problem between employees, an issue detracting from productivity, and/or something negative affecting your business, solve it quickly and fairly. Pay attention to identity where there may be issues. If you’re listening, you’d be surprised by the tensions and underlying frustration you may find. Allowing a problem to fester or to ignore the possibility of a problem is naïve and risky. When there’s conflict, solve it.
10. Assign incentives
As a manager, you may see the end-goal and that may be enough to get you motivated. Employees or team members are different. They need their own incentive. Give it to them. A financial bonus, a gift card, a pizza party, an individual incentive, a team-based incentive, or some sort of alternative reward system all work.
11. Reward effort
An effective manager knows when to reward effort. Team members can’t simply work and toil without recognition. You’ll find yourself losing team members left and right, or risk them feeling underappreciated and coming to work resentful. Ensure efforts are rewarded and recognized.
12. Educate yourself
Gain a deep understanding of your team and how they interact, the company you’re working for, the competition, the markets you’re marketing towards, and the industry as a whole. Education is continual, in any manager role. The more knowledge you have to act on, the more accurate your strategy will be to inevitable success.
13. An interest in tech
Even though it’s not an absolute necessity as a management skill, an interest in tech and a willingness to evaluate new technologies as they relate to your team could give you the edge you desperately want. This could mean apps, software, devices, or otherwise. Tech can make management easier, in so many ways. Not every software or device will be appropriate though. Stay glued to developing tech in your industry that may or may not be worth providing to your team.
