Thursday, October 31, 2013

Top Tips For Leading and Managing your Team

Do you need help managing your staff? Please find below a few tips. However if you need further training or coaching now please visit ourInspiring Potential Now page to book a coach now.
Top Tips for Managing Staff
1. Communicate your goals and vision clearly.
If your staff are unsure about what outcomes they are collectively pursuing, they will ultimately veer off course and be less effective as a unit. It is incumbent upon the manager to set the direction in clear, unambiguous terms. Soliciting input from the team will ensure a better rate of buy-in for the goals of the group. Ongoing communication and monitoring of progress is crucial.
2. Know what motivates your team members.
Never assume that you know what drives the people in your team. Some people may respond well to financial incentives such as commissions or bonuses but others may not. For some it could be more important to have some time off or a simple 'Thank You' for the good work that they do. By getting to know your team on a one to one basis you can elicit this information and set incentives accordingly
3. Develop a 'coaching' style and attitude.
By developing a coaching attitude, you will be able to empower your staff to find the answers to their own day to day challenges on the job rather than telling them to do things your way.
Employees will be more effective in the longer run if they are given the space to use their natural strengths and unique approach on the job. A 'directive' style of management will restrict the inherent potential of your team members.
4. Know how to give feedback.
If you would like a staff member to improve a certain aspect of their work, it would be helpful to remind them of the things that they do well. If you are only providing negative feedback, they will put up a wall of resistance and the message may not 'land' properly. Providing recognition and regular positive feedback is a vital part of maintaining a healthy team but this aspect is often overlooked.
5. Understand different personality types
To ensure good communication and understanding at all levels within the team, it would be useful to know more about your personality types. A useful suggestion might be to have a facilitated team building event that incorporates Myers Briggs testing. By having colleagues share their personality 'type' with each other they will get a much better understanding of how their colleagues receive and process information. This promotes much greater group awareness and understanding.

If you would like to know about specific training or coaching solutions to help improve management skills in your organisation, please contact Inspiring Potential at 0845 355 1159. 
or contact us on www.inspiring-potential.com

Inspiring Potential comprises a team of coaches and trainers who have all had frontline corporate experience prior to working in the personal development industry.