How to Be a Better Manager

Running a business can be demanding. You have to wear many hats - sales, marketing, operations, finance, and human resources. Juggling all these responsibilities often seems like a never-ending task. If there's one thing that can make anything possible, it's effective management.

Management is about creating organized systems that allows you to achieve your goals.

Leaders have the power to inspire people to do better, but only managers can transform a business into a well-oiled machine. They lay the foundation for the success of the company and ensure that every moving part contributes to the greater goal.

Here are 10 tips that can help you become a more effective manager.

Treat everyone equally

The first thing you need to do is to establish the behavioral and performance standards that everyone must follow. You set the tone for the entire organization, and your employees will be looking closely at what you will (and won't) do.

Your actions should be consistent across the board. That means you need to treat every member of your team equally.

You're inevitably going to like some more than others, but playing favorites can demoralize the entire team and erode workplace dynamics.

Communicate clearly and directly

Communication is the glue that holds a team together. If important information gets lost in the mix, things begin to fall apart.

Whether you're providing in-person updates or giving instructions through email, always be clear and direct in your communication. Keep everyone in the loop to avoid misunderstandings.

It's also important to foster an environment where employees can share their thoughts and opinions. If they feel they can come to you with any questions, issues will be addressed more quickly.

Be transparent

Management and leadership go hand in hand. If you want to build trust with your employees, you need to be transparent with them.

Be honest and remove any barriers that disrupt free and open communication.

If you withhold critical information from your employees, or worse, lie about it, you could damage your team's goals and lose the respect of others.

Connect with your employees

The best managers understand that they need to connect with their employees on both a professional and personal level. Doing this may provide valuable insight into how your employees work and think.

I'm not saying you should be more casual in your approach, but if you ask them how they are doing and get to know them and their interests, it will result in a more tight-knit team.

Connecting with your employees will also help you develop a better relationship with them. When you’ve gotten to know each employee personally, you will be able to better communicate with and motivate them.

Choose the right people for the job

A good attitude combined with intelligence will often trump experience.  It will always trump experience and a not-so-good attitude.  Smart people with a good attitude can learn anything.

Take the time to choose the right people for your team.  Determine Don't try to fit a proverbial square peg into a round hole.

Your employees will feel more engaged at work if they're assigned roles where they get to use their specific skills and talents. 

Create a better working environment

The right working environment can foster innovation, respect, and more importantly, productivity. If you can make work fun, your employees will be happier, work better, and commit fewer mistakes.

You don't need an espresso machine or an open snack bar to create a better working environment. Small things such as organizing social events or allowing them to personalize their workspace go a long way in making work more fun.

Ask for feedback

You're probably used to giving feedback, but being a good manager also means listening to other people's opinions. 

During staff or one-on-one meetings, make it a point to ask for feedback from your employees.

If someone disagrees with your decisions, listen to them. Try to understand where they are coming from. Ask others if they feel the same way or if they have something to add. The information they share can help you make better decisions.

Opening yourself up to employee feedback also makes it easier to identify potential issues before they happen.

Personalize your approach

Managers have to be flexible when it comes to dealing with their employees. 

Each team member has their own strengths, weaknesses, preferences, and so on. If you customize your coaching and management style to fit the person's needs, you can expect better responses and results.

Manage team issues

Disagreements are inevitable in any workplace, but that doesn't mean that you can turn a blind eye. If left alone, a small issue can derail communications, lower morale, and damage the entire team.

There may be times when you need to step in and serve as a mediator between the conflicting parties. When an issue arises, address it right away before it gets bigger.

Establish a shared goal

It's not enough to have your employees work together. You also want them to work towards a shared goal.

Establish a single focus for everyone to rally around.

In summary

Each member of your team is going to have their own tasks and responsibilities. If you can show them how their individual work contributes to the team's goal, it will inspire everyone to work harder and better.

There's no single best way to manage a team. We all have our own styles of management, but applying these principles will help you become a stronger and more effective manager:

1. Treat everyone equally
2. Communicate clearly
3. Be transparent
4. Connect with your employees
5. Delegate tasks to the right people
6. Make work more fun
7. Ask for feedback
8. Personalize your approach
9. Manage team issues
10. Establish a shared goal

Do you need help with managing your business? Let's talk.

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