Team Management Mantras

Have you recently got promoted to a managerial post? Or you just bagged that new job role as a manager? Kudos to you, and well done!

But now, consider this: Quarterly targets are set and are at an all-time high! And, you have just been asked to form a team from ground zero to get started. Even if you were given an existing team to manage, what would you do next? Sounds challenging?

Even more challenging is also what the current pandemic times are offering us: Remote team management.

Such challenges have come my way too. Over the years, I had to enhance my skills around strategy development and most importantly leading a large cross functioning team successfully and managing a business unit. Plus, now the new normal of working remotely.  

At a managerial position, your success is, to a large extent, measured by the performance of your team. Hence, selecting or having the right mix of team players, assigning them the right tasks, and developing and motivating them becomes vital.  

Through this blog post, I am going to share some interesting insights into building and managing teams. Read on to know about the mistakes that you want to avoid and the approach that you would want to adopt.  

Say NO to these mistakes!

• Electronic modes of communication such as emails and WhatsApp have made it possible to control teams, avoiding those one-on-one video meetings or even voice calls or even meetings in person. However, this is not the best way to stay connected with your teams.
• Plus, when managing your team remotely, not staying connected with your team much more regularly than before is a big ‘no’ to do.  
• Do you want to be a friend to your team? Well, remember, it is always going to be difficult to separate reporting practices from friendship. Friends whine about work as well as the boss, and a manager is a misfit here.  
• Not being good listeners is one of the biggest misses for a manager. We are so caught up with achieving the end goal that we often consider suggestions and concerns raised as excuses and overlook them.
• Also, one of the biggest remote team management mistakes that you can make is an overdose of micromanagement. This could leave the team with a feeling of distrust.  
• There too, if you offer a solution to every problem, you are taking away from building the team members’ ability of crises management. 
• Think about this! Are you sure that your team and you are focused on the same goal? And have you realised that one reason for the team to be stressed, demotivated, and probably baffled is that they do not have a clear understanding of the goal the manager is working towards! 
• How do you manage yourself in a crisis is also crucial? If you are the manager passing the stress bug onto your team, you are certainly going to lose out on productivity. 
• Also, ensure you are differentiating well between criticising and offering feedback. And, do not forget to take feedback from the team too. This is one of the most critical mistakes that can be made, and an important area to be conscious of. 

 Say YES to these!

• Personal interactions will help you understand what motivates your team and what does not their interest, and what matters to them most. This will help you always keep your team motivated.
• Team members often provide some crucial information that helps achieve the department’s vision – so, do listen!
• Anticipate probable problems rather than waiting for it to occur and then get into damage control. Also, rather than diving straight into the problems with solutions, give the team a chance to develop their skills too.
• As a manager, it is important to focus on the vision – what needs to be done, but even more, ensure that your team knows why it needs to be done.
• It is a no-brainer. During a crisis or stressful situations, rather than passing the stress bug, get your emotions stronger and more optimistic. This will only help your team function productively under pressure.
• Offering feedback helps your team improve their performance and taking feedback positively helps you re-strategise and manage better. Maintain this two-way exercise.
• Also, do not forget to recognise a good job done. Being consistent at this makes your team believe that you appreciate their efforts. It keeps them on the go for sure. 
• Focus on delegating the right task to the right team member. And even more, rather than micromanaging, some team members may require more support than the others. Strike the perfect balance by identifying them and extending that support.  
• When managing remotely, ensure your team is self-reliant and maintains communication with you. Make yourself available too. 
• It is also important to be diverse in the way you manage your team as well. Understand the different personalities and approach them accordingly.
• Be transparent and crystal clear in communication. This helps retain trust among team members, makes them feel important and valued, and an equal contributor to the department’s vision. This proves to be a major motivation for the team.