7 Simple Tips for Effective Team Management

Team leaders have a vital role in providing their employees with a strong support system. Leading a team is always inspiring and challenging, but doing it during a global crisis makes it particularly exhausting.

Trying times like these require leaders capable of adapting and successfully navigating their teams through difficulties. This article will guide you on how to achieve a happier and more productive team.
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Follow these seven simple tips for effective team management!

​1.     Encourage productive communication

Good communication is the foundation of a cohesive and productive team. So, make sure to keep the lines of communication open. Transparent, prompt, and honest communication is always the best way to go. Encourage a working environment where employees will feel confident to express their concerns.

Knowing they can reach out to managers maintains the staff's trust in leadership. This is especially important when economic fears are present.

So, investing in managers' communication skills can positively impact every level of your business.

Effective communication builds healthy collaboration and relationships while improving engagement too. Collaborating with a remote team effectively can be incredibly challenging, so make sure they stay connected with everybody.

​Also, make sure to create time for team bonding by creating socialization opportunities. Activities that allow your staff to connect outside of their primary work roles are especially beneficial.

2.     Set expectations clearly

Right guidance is irreplaceable in proper team management. Team members need to know what's expected of them. To receive the desired results, managers have to make expectations crystal clear. When explaining the required level of performance, they need to include details on specific work involved, the quality standard, and the deadline.

This minimizes the confusion and increases the chances of employees successfully achieving goals.

Encourage regular discussions between employees and their supervisors about current performance and ongoing responsibilities.
When communicating expectations, be as specific as possible and always allow your team members to ask questions. Don't forget to discuss the tools necessary to complete each task.
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Explaining the purpose of tasks is helpful. So is casually checking-in with your team, as it shows them that you are attentive and accessible.

​3.      Plan more team meetings and one-on-one communications

Planning more meetings is especially important during a crisis like the 2020 global pandemic. It is vital for people not accustomed to working remotely as well. Employees who used to work in-house may feel disconnected, and lacking information and relationships they previously had.

Some people need more interaction to keep their energy levels up, while others may need more support during these difficult times. Increasing the frequency of meetings can keep your team at ease.

Just as you would stop by someone's workstation for a brief catch up, make time for regular two-minute calls that don't have to be too formal.

Video conferencing is incredibly helpful. It can be a substitute for face-to-face communication related to the office environment.
VoIP services can ensure everyone on your team stays connected while increasing their productivity. The best VoIP providers offer more than cuts in costs and internet-based telephony.

You get great collaboration features like instant team messaging, audio and video conferencing, and file sharing.

4.     Create a transparent working environment

A transparent working environment makes employees happier, creative, and accountable. Honest, direct, and open communication related to transparent environments helps build mutual respect and trust.

Employees in authentic workplaces tend to feel more secure in their positions. As a result, they are confident enough to express their ideas and suggestions, which boosts their creativity.
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If people are afraid to voice their opinions and be themselves, their company is less likely to grow and succeed. On the other hand, if an organization makes people feel safe, respected, and valued, it allows for unique ideas to flow.

​And the workforce Is happier too. Also, if any problems arise, they are promptly addressed and more easily resolved.

5.     Provide constructive feedback

Providing honest and constructive feedback is one of the best ways to help your employees succeed and grow. Give your team advice on how they are progressing and how they can develop their skills even further.

Point out the areas of work where you feel a person could improve. Giving useful feedback can be difficult. Still, it is an essential part of successful team management.

If you are supposed to deliver corrective feedback, specificity is essential. When you want to support an employee in adjusting their behavior or changing how they approach their work, feedback mustn't aim at the person.

Instead, it needs to focus on particular behaviors or work. Bear in mind that people tend to react more strongly to negative events. To ensure the corrective feedback is well received, experts suggest following the negative news with lots of positives.
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Every employee wants to be successful. Feedback conversations are necessary to achieve that. Just ensure the process is respectful and useful to those involved.

6.     Recognize people for their hard work

This applies even more to people working under challenging circumstances. And with the current Coronavirus pandemic, employees require ongoing support and recognition more than ever.

Recognition boosts employee morale and increases productivity.
When someone has done an excellent job, call out that work, and recognize it publicly. Also, if an employee exhibits a specific behavior, you want to encourage, share it with your team and find the best way to recognize that individual.

It's important to note that recognition has to be timely, but it also should be given weekly to team members who deserve it.

7.     Prevent your team from burning out

The sad fact is that two-thirds of workers experienced burn-out in 2019. Stress impacts the employees negatively, resulting in fatigue, anxiety, and missed work. To prevent these negative consequences, organizations need to support their people's wellbeing, especially during a crisis.

Employees are less likely to experience regular burn out by 70 percent if they feel supported by their managers. This means building strong manager-employee relationships is vital in preventing burn out.
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Another way to avoid burnout is by setting realistic performance goals. Consider including your team members in developing plans, as they are more likely to feel good about them.

Check-in on your team frequently when you notice signs of burn-out in your team. There are different ways to deal with it, like reducing their workflow for a while and supporting them to talk to a trained professional.

Also, encourage them to take advantage of the company's resources and services like the Employee Assistance Program (EAP).