Essential aspect of successful management

During my early years as a manager, one of my main concerns was how to keep all stakeholders engaged, especially those with more experience in the subject than me. I wanted to figure out how not to lose their attention, gain their trust and empathy, all to better assist me in the performance and development of my projects. Simultaneously, I needed to find a way to maintain a good relationship with my coworkers, preventing any unnecessary stress on our work dynamic. I aimed to balance that "work friendship" while still being able to perform my duties and complete tasks and projects on time and with good results.

This challenge forced me to start learning some techniques about my direct and indirect communication with all stakeholders. All of these techniques were like the arms of the brain, which I now call effective management "Follow-up."

As a generic definition, Follow-up is one of the most important aspects of successful management, ensuring that all tasks are completed throughout the entire process, goals are achieved, and projects stay on track according to the original scope of work.

Sometimes, Follow-up is confused with micromanaging. However, rather than that, Follow-up is about staying informed, supporting the team, and ensuring that the overall objectives are met. Micromanagement is part of one type of management style, characterized by excessive control and involvement in the minutiae of work.

Both aspects mentioned could affect the performance of your project or business directly or indirectly. That's why it is crucial for management to develop an internal company culture, shifting the mentality towards keeping track of activities, tasks, or notes during the entire project development.

Follow-up isn't just about tracking progress; it's also about communication—not just once or twice, but as many times as necessary, as long as the other parties or stakeholders are fully engaged or have enough knowledge of the status of all parts of the project.

How important is Follow-up in your project?