Some people claim that the coronavirus pandemic brought the downfall of teamwork. It’s a mistaken perception because COVID-19 merely changed the dynamics of teamwork.
It doesn’t matter if your employees are working under the same roof or from their homes; teamwork can improve even a socially-distant workforce’s performance and enhance the organization’s productivity. In fact, it’s a manager’s responsibility to create a collaborative environment in a team to foster innovation and improve efficiency. When we discuss team management, we’re talking about how a manager can coordinate all employees to execute certain tasks.
Managing a team benefits you by:
- Making employees feel happy, valued, and satisfied
- Reducing turnover rates by making employees more loyal
- Improving your workforce’s productivity and overall efficiency
Moreover, 58% of American employees believe happier workers are more productive. In short, effective team management can reduce stress, enhance job satisfaction, and improve personal and professional growth.
But how to become a better manager? Here’s what you need to know on how to manage a team:
- Hone your managerial skills
The primary method of becoming a better manager involves honing one’s managerial capabilities. As a full-time employee yourself, you can consider leveraging distance learning options to become better at managing a team and overseeing its performance. Several online courses for executives are available to help senior managers improve their team-management skills. These learning opportunities will help you overcome any skill gaps you might have while also helping you hone your managerial expertise.
- Set realistic goals
What is your team’s purpose? Not knowing this purpose can lead to an existential crisis, which can reduce your workforce’s productivity when your teammates don’t have clear goals in front of them. According to a survey, 70% of employees feel their work defines their sense of purpose. As a manager, you can set SMART goals. The team’s goals must be specific, measurable, achievable, relevant, and time-bound. Then break these goals down into even smaller objectives. It can make it easier for your teammates to understand these goals.
- Delegate jobs properly
A manager’s genius lies in delegating the right job to the right person. Understand the strengths and weaknesses of every employee so you can assign them the job they’re most suited to perform. This method of delegation can make your team more productive. Learn that employees are more productive when their skills align with the nature of the job they have been given. Don’t make your workers feel disengaged at work by assigning them a function they aren’t suitable to perform.
- Communicate
Effective communication indicates an effective manager. After the pandemic, communication has become even more challenging for managers, but you can overcome this hurdle by leveraging technology. From Zoom to Google Hangouts, different means of communication are available to physically-distant employees. Keep all channels of communication open for your teammates and listen to what they have to say. Communication is better when it is considered a two-way street.
- Hold meetings regularly
Managers either neglect to have meetings or hold them too often. Both of these scenarios are counterproductive; the first one hampers collaboration and the second one only wastes time. Also, these meetings usually are held with little interaction among co-workers. Instead, managers should focus on holding regular in-person or online meetings that add a spark to the team’s spirit and enhance team collaboration. A great idea is to incorporate interactive activities, like fun online escape rooms, to engage employees in events that are not work-related.
Shorter meetings can be held to propagate useful information and keep employees well-informed. Allow team members to give their opinions on business matters and express their ideas without fearing consequences.
- Produce more trust
What makes a team dysfunctional and not productive enough? Patrick Lencioni wrote a book called “The Five Dysfunctions of a Team†two decades ago. In the Lencioni model, as described in the book, the author discusses five major dysfunctions that may exist in a team. These are:
- No accountability for bosses
- Colleagues not trusting each other
- The lack of properly-achieved commitment
- Creating artificial harmony out of a fear of conflict
- A preference for personal success over team winnings
What is essential to note is that these dysfunctions revolve around trust. Managers should foster a sense of trust in a team to make collaboration possible. Without trust, everyone will focus on personal successes rather than succeeding as a team. Creating a sense of trust will make everyone aspire for team-based victories and success.
- Motivate your employees
A tricky part of team management involves motivating your workers and inspiring them to become more productive. Educate your employees and empower them to become independent. Appreciate a worker who comes up with a creative solution to any problem you’re facing. Resolve conflicts and foster a culture of accountability within the team. The lack of accountability can make team members irresponsible. On the contrary, accountability can motivate them to perform even better.
- Promote teammates’ well-being
It’s estimated that over 80% of workers suffer from work-related stress. One-fourth of these people call their jobs the number-one stressor in their lives. Stress reduces productivity, so it’s a no-brainer that managers must prioritize employees’ well-being. Make employees familiar with healthy lifestyle habits. This could include anything from healthy eating habits, adapting their workstations to avoid health risks, and taking time off from work to avoid burnout. Creating a stress-free work environment will improve your team members’ motivation and performance.
- Appreciate their efforts
Make your team feel valued, respected, and appreciated. Listen to team members’ opinions, further a sense of innovation among them, and appreciate their diligence. Sometimes, a little praise becomes an employee’s incentive to become more productive. Surveys indicate that almost 60% of workers never had a boss who appreciated their efforts. Don’t restrict feedback merely to criticisms; appreciate a hardworking employee’s commitment to managing that person.
- Monitor their progress
Do you know how many hours are wasted by workers doing nothing? It’s estimated that an average American employee will waste two hours every eight-hour-long workday. Managers should monitor every employee’s progress and diminish the amount of time people waste for boosted productivity. Use time-tracking software programs to monitor your workforce’s progress and keep an eye on the workforce’s work. Hence, you can easily reduce all factors responsible for the loss of productivity.
Conclusion
This article briefly explained some benefits of effective team management and then discussed many ways to manage a team. A manager should communicate properly with people, motivate them to boost their productivity, and promote their well-being. Hold regular meetings, monitor workers’ progress, and delegate jobs between them properly. Improve your managerial capabilities by pursuing online courses. That’s how you can better manage your team and develop a collaborative culture in the company.
samanvya 
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