Your first management position is a great accomplishment. Once you have moved past the elation of being in a position of power, then comes the time to prepare for leading your team. In order to develop a productive working environment, not only will you need people skills, but you will also need to learn some management skills.
We have put together a few of our best tips that will help you manage people competently in your new position.
Differentiate Organizational Problems From Personal Problems
There are always going to be problems to tackle when you manage people. As a manager, you will need to learn which of the problems are organizational, and which are personal. Understanding the difference will allow you to respond in the right way and create a solution that actually fixes the problem. For example, a personal problem would be a staff member having an issue with their team members or their workload. An organizational problem would be workflow issues or the team's inability to match the demands of the project.
Making Listening to Your Staff a Priority
When you are in charge of managing people, it is important to be an active listener. Pay attention to what your staff is saying to you and also their non-verbal cues. Make eye content when speaking and always give your staff members time to finish their thoughts before giving a response. The best people managers are the ones that have the ability to listen neutrally and then follow through with a sincere conversation that addresses the problem or concern.
Use Criticism and Praise In a Balanced Way
Giving out too much praise lowers its value. Passing out too much criticism lowers morale. As a manager, you will need to provide just the right amount of praise and criticism to create a balance. It may surprise you that half of all office managers that give out criticism never hand out praise. However, those that only give out praise also have lower levels of productivity. The golden ratio will be different for every company, but it is always a good idea to praise more than you criticize.
Make A Habit of Checking In
Many managers only check on their staff when there is a problem. It's a good idea to check on your team even where there are no reported problems. This will let them know that you care about their progress, and it can stop your staff from stressing out over the little things.
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