A Simple Guide To Becoming A Better Manager At Work

Managers have an enormous influence on the employees’ productivity, which, in turn, determines the success of the entire company. For this reason, the people occupying these positions must be able to fulfill their role of creating a productive work environment. They need to know how to motivate the workers – so they are willing to become loyal and dedicated members of the team. Here is a simple guide to becoming a better manager at your workplace.

Get to Know Your Employees

The first step in becoming a better leader to your employees is getting to know them. And this doesn’t only mean learning their names and functions. You must take the time to understand their goals and interests in their professional and personal life. If you have a smaller team, you can have a one-on-one conversation with each employee, and if the unit is larger, you can talk to them in groups. When doing this, make sure to also ask them about how they feel in their position at the company and whether they have any suggestions for improvements. According to stats, empathy from managers also gets employees motivated.

Learn to Communicate

Being forthcoming about goals and changes and timely announcements are fundamental for a seamless workflow. However, you must remember that communication goes both ways. If any of your team members address a concern or comes up with an idea, give them full attention. Make sure to listen to them carefully, and ask them questions in a helpful, compassionate tone. If there is any problem that needs resolution, try to help them do it as soon as possible. This will instill respect and facilitate further communication with the employees because they will know that they can come to you with anything. 

Become a Mentor

While you don’t have to be friends with each of your employees, the fact that you are their superior doesn’t mean that you have to behave unfriendly towards them either. In fact, people are more likely to respect an authority figure if they are able to view them as a mentor rather than a strict leader. In order to maximize your team’s productivity, you must create an environment that nurtures each person’s potential. If a member of your team struggles with their project, try to show them how to do things in a more efficient way. You can help them learn how to get the job done, so they won’t run into the same issue in the future.

Track and Acknowledge Success

The fact that your employees know that they can turn to you with any of their problems and you are willing to ease up on them if they encounter an issue doesn’t mean that you should let them slack all the time. For example, people tend to get distracted by social media, which affects their productivity levels. For computer-based workplaces, using a system for tracking workers projects, you can uncover what hinders people from being more productive. These allow managers to monitor their employees’ computer activity from the time they clock in until they clock out. Tracking also makes it easier to notice people who are doing exceptionally well. Make sure to acknowledge everyone’s hard work and success openly.

Be a Motivator

Sometimes mistakes and other unforeseen circumstances can ruin everyone’s good work and send the entire project down the drain. Not to mention if an employee has a personal issue that affects their productivity. A good manager can always lift up morale and encourage employees to push through the hurdles. This sends a powerful message and reinforces everyone’s faith in their capabilities. Make sure that employees understand that all it takes to triumph is for them to give their best effort. And when they are able to do that in hard times, their sense of accomplishment will be even higher, and they become even more motivated to work harder.

Provide Goals

Make sure to provide clear goals your employees can work towards and become successful members of the organization. You may find this challenging from time to time, especially if you are in charge of a larger group. One of the best ways to do this is by setting up SMART goals that incorporate partial targets workers must reach to get closer to the reward. These goals must be specific, measurable, achievable, relevant, and time-bound.

Acquiring better management skills takes time and dedication, and you must be willing to arm yourself with patience. While every company has its own specific set of rules managers must follow, this guide can facilitate communication with your team. Through frequent interactions with employees, you will gain better insight into their work routine and potential issues. This experience can help you create a better environment, boosting the workers’ efficiency.