Managing a team of employees is an art form. With diverse personalities, responsibilities, ambitions, motivations and frustrations all to balance, it’s a juggling act only the best leaders can manage. In a small company, successful people management is all the more important because every single employee needs to perform at their best to drive the business along.
To discover some of the secrets of successful people management, we spoke to Vasco de Castro, the business development director at office fruit delivery service Fruitful Office, a rapidly expanding company, for some of his secrets to success. Here are five of his top tips.
1. Take a supporting role
Some entrepreneurs feel it is the role of a leader to take the limelight and drive their employees forward, but many successful leaders feel it is more important to play a supporting role. In the first instance, leaders must have a great vision for the company and communicate that vision clearly to their team, providing clear direction and expectations. Then, they should get out of the way and let them do their job.
To do their best work, employees must have plenty of support but also have the space they need to be creative, autonomous and take risks. The temptation for many entrepreneurs is to micro-manage their teams, but this strategy could prompt the most capable employees to leave.
2. Make time for employees
Successful leaders recognise that leadership is a people job. No matter how busy you might be, when an employee needs to speak to you, it is vital that you take the time to do so. This does not mean you discuss issues while tapping away at your laptop or flicking through the latest management reports. Instead, stop whatever you’re doing and give your full attention to the person standing before you.
3. Recognise achievements
Every engaged employee wants to do a good job, and when they do a good job, they also want the recognition of a job well done. Unfortunately, very few leaders actually take the time to celebrate the achievements of their workers. Recognising an employee’s achievements does not have to be an elaborate show of gratitude or a monetary reward. Simply taking the time to acknowledge the quality of the work is enough. Here are a few simple ways to recognise an employee’s work.
4. Be human
Running a company is a serious business, but what’s the point if you can’t have a few laughs along the way? Hard work and fun do not need to be mutually exclusive. Successful leaders make the workplace somewhere employees are comfortable and happy to be. Working hard and playing a bit too, even if it’s just taking the time to sit back and take an interest in the personal lives of employees, is key to creating a loyal, energised workforce.
5. Default to trust
Give your employees your full trust until they give you a reason not to. When you show trust in your team and step back and allow them to take the lead, they will always go the extra mile to get the job done. Less experienced managers meddle in the minutiae of tasks or focus on what can go wrong and inadvertently demotivate their team.
Do you have any secrets of successful people management to add to our list? Please share your thoughts with our readers in the comments section below.
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