Art of Managing Team members

In my opinion, tasks like talking to customers, engaging with customers, giving presentations are slightly doable jobs if a right platform is given to learn and practise. Managing people is an uphill task. In the market there are plenty number of Sales and Project management professionals. But what about creative people managers? They are less in number. Hence there is a huge scope in creative team management.

This article attempts to present few tried and tested skills that can be accommodated by every Manager to manage their teams successfully.

1.       Know about your team members – you should study your team members thoroughly. Their attitude, their likes and dislikes, their passion, their life aspirations and goals, their working style, their personal and professional background, their mantras for leading better life, what they care, helping character etc. I would like to use the Hindi word “Kundli” meaning know your team members’ complete biodata/horoscope J and file a record for your reference.

2.       Talking, Talking, Talking – This is self-explanatory. But you should know how much to talk and what exactly to talk. Don’t overburden the person with information overloading. Next day he/she may not turn up to office. Have a modular approach and give time to learn and unlearn. Don’t react if they commit errors. Just stay tuned and build confidence in yourself and the team member. Important – do not pamper while mentoring.

3.       Micro Management – This is a great weapon but should be used effectively. Figure out ways where team member won’t come to know that you are micro managing. Do regular detailed reviews but you should end the reviews with solution approach. The moment you give a solution, please note they are learning from you. Learning results in excitement and builds professional relationship. Good to have reviews both formally and informally.

4.       Exposure – If you are in a Services organization, involve your team member in few engagement activities. If you are heading towards a client meeting take your team member along with you. If you are on a customer call involve them. Over a period of time allow your team members to ask questions to the client in your presence and in your absence. If they fair well, empower them to own up tasks. Ask your team members to give presentation on few relevant topics. Get them towards your table when you are convinced with their efforts.

5.       Working with your subordinates – This strategy will create a huge positive difference. How much time do you spend as Leader with your subordinates while at work? Once in a week? Twice in a month? Just not sufficient. You know the business cycle very well. You know the business challenges to achieve goals. So better you work with your subordinates continuously till they get their first success. When you work with them, you are influencing, helping, mentoring, demonstrating patience, ensuring seriousness at work, propelling speed in execution and may more great things which can become contagious. Usually many Managers miss this strategy and end up failing big time and in turn team members are blamed unnecessarily.

6.       Informal meetings – usually I see a mixed feeler when it comes to conducting informal meetings. But trust me guys, this a great deal. You can do wonders. In these informal meetings, you are slightly personal with your team member. Please note “slightly personal”, that’s it. Usually results are very good – mostly you will get a long term team member working with you. When you meet them informally, you are also give more space to your subordinates and it is a great Like for your subordinate. Tea, Coffee, Beer, Wine, Lunch, Breakfast, Dinner, and Smoke should suite well for these meetings.

7.       Decision making – take suggestions and inputs from your team members. Appreciate for a suggestion which is better and impactful. Implement workable suggestions quickly. Small or big doesn’t matter.  Ensure you are guiding your team member to become better than you always.

8.       Cross team interactions – allow your team members to interact and work with other Leaders in the organization. Working in such pattern enhances synergy. You will start thinking and inventing. You will learn best practices that can be put. This also show how benevolent type are you.

9.       CCA – This is a school word called Co-Curricular ActivitiesJ. Watch motivational movies, Go for an indoor and outdoor games, take your team members to a great resort, and pick up a great adventurous spot, go for long drives. In this way you help them to break monotony.

Hope you all enjoyed this read. Build great teams, they will help your organization to grow.