You're struggling to manage your team effectively. How can you turn things around?

I think the best way to assess your situation is to understand how the team is placed, less of work point of view and more from a mental status, because a team with low morale and less work is extremely dangerous, rather than a team with high morale with a handful of tasks.

Improving team management requires a combination of self-reflection, communication skills, leadership abilities, and practical strategies. Identify the Issues: Take a step back and assess what exactly is causing the struggles within your team. Is it poor communication, lack of motivation, unclear goals, lack of priorities, too many distractions or interruptions, team processes or tools part of the problem? Does everyone on the team understands their roles, responsibilities, and the overall goals of the project or organization? How is the communication flowing in, out and around the team? As the Manager/Leader develop a POV. TIP: Don't blame the team! Take ownership of the situation. To be blunt: Whatever is going is on you!

After assessing the situation, gather the team to see what they are spending their time. Then compare that to the critical tasks and projects that contribute directly to achieving organizational goals. Next, as the Manager/Leader it is your duty to provide support on Priorities. There are many prioritization techniques such as Eisenhower Matrix, MoSCoW method, or Value vs. Effort analysis to determine the order of importance. Personally, I like to gather key stakeholders in a room and conduct a Post-It note exercise where they each take a turn putting up their top 3 priorities on 3 Post-It notes. We group them. Then I ask Stakeholders to vote on them. Allocate resources and time accordingly, focusing on high-priority tasks first.

Recommending one-on one communication, rather than throwing in mails or having team calls. Because sometimes, or in most scenarios, a mail does not convey everything that we want to communicate.

Solutions and great communication go together. Start by encouraging feedback, questions, and suggestions on any proposed changes/solutions. Schedule regular team meetings to discuss progress, challenges, and upcoming tasks. Use this time to align on goals and clarify expectations. Utilize collaboration tools like project management software, instant messaging platforms, or shared document repositories to streamline communication and information sharing. Ensure that team members have the necessary resources, tools, and training to perform their roles effectively. Offer mentorship, coaching. Recognize and reward achievements and efforts to boost morale and motivation. Be visible and supportive. Look for conflict or any one struggling.

Set up weekly one-on-ones with your direct reports. Schedule 30 minutes. Keep it in the diary. 20 minutes for them to update you, 10 minutes for you to update them.

-Clarify Goals and Expectations: Ensure everyone understands their roles, responsibilities, and the team's objectives -Open Communication:Encourage open dialogue, listen actively, and address concerns promptly -Provide Support: Offer guidance, resources and training to help team members excel in their roles -Delegate Wisely:Delegate tasks based on team members' strengths and development areas, empowering them to take ownership -Recognize Achievements: Acknowledge and celebrate individual and team successes to boost motivation -Resolve Conflicts:Address conflicts promptly and constructively, promoting understanding and finding mutually solutions -Lead by Example:Demonstrate integrity, accountability, and professionalism in your actions

Monitor Progress and Adjust Accordingly: Implement performance metrics and key performance indicators (KPIs) to track progress towards goals. Regularly review and analyze performance data to identify areas of improvement or potential roadblocks. Be flexible and adaptable, willing to adjust plans and strategies based on changing circumstances or feedback from the team. Encourage a culture of continuous learning and improvement within the team. Regularly solicit feedback from team members on processes, workflow, and leadership effectiveness.

When their are problems, their is a natural reaction to grab the steering wheel for control and be a micro-manager. Resist doing that. Be involved, without being in the way or taking control away from the team. Lean into empowering the team to own and resolve issues. Look at how decisions are made. Make sure the team has the ability and information to make their own decisions. Delegate authority and empower team members to make decisions within their areas of expertise. Encourage autonomy and creativity while providing guidance and support when needed. Foster a culture of accountability where team members take ownership of their work and outcomes.

One experience I can share is a point in my career, in which I noticed that the team morale was really low, and we had much work to be done. As the audit senior of the team, I managed to place a team event, despite we were in a busy audit season, where we were in the process of finalizing the audit. Our audit partner was quite skeptical, but she was in agreement. That boosted the morale of the team, and with that, my team managed to complete all the pending work, and all the stakeholders were satisfied.