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Management Improvement Tips and Tricks

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How about some management tips and tricks?  I wish it were as easy as following some tips and tricks.  Management is one of the most challenging and yet rewarding positions in business.

This post is for you if you are either on a team or lead a team.  The Fox Small Business Team recently released a report regarding job satisfaction, employee engagement and career development.  Businesses continue to struggle here, as employees wish to leave jobs because of poor management.

Here are some suggestions to improve your management skills:

Tip #1:  Cultivate Relationship: Relationship is conversation, initiation, encouragement and feedback.  Relationship is cultivated through time and intentionality.  Managers if you are asking for a work report without any type of trust or relationship, this will create dissonance with your employee.

Practical Application: In your next 1:1 ask the question: “If you could a pick a job in the world of work, what would it be and why?”  Great conversation starter.  You should answer that one too!

Tip #2: Be wary of using only financial reports and data in your meetings and 1:1s. Managers if you are putting financial numbers in front of your team ONLY then your team is leaving feeling uninspired and demotivated.  Team member if you are feeling this way, please speak up.  Managers live in a false reality that all is ok.

Practical Application: Start your next meeting by having each team member share their greatest strength they bring to the team and the area that could be a risk to the team. Manager be sure to lead the way with transparency by sharing your strength and area for growth.  Call it transparency and trust building!

Tip #3: Own the development of your team. This includes but is not limited to their career development, skill development and soft skills.  Successful managers are successful if their team wins. The very best managers see their people exceed them.  Yes, I typed that…The very best managers are the ones that see their team members exceed them.

Practical Application: Team members request a meeting with your manager today and share your career dreams, aspirations and needs with them and ask for help.  Managers make it an agenda item for your next 1:1.

Tip #4: Manage your own anxiety. Anxiety permeates our society.  Be careful to not perpetuate its agenda.  How? Start by recognizing how you may be leading with anxiety vs.inspiration, creativity and passion.  If you are anxious as a manager, you are 10x more likely to “infect” those around you with the same anxiety.

Practical Application: Start with some good self-awareness here.  What creates anxiety for you?

What else has worked for you?  When was the last time you evaluated your management skills?  You may have been promoted to a manager without any type of training.