Looking after another human is never easy and being a leader of a team of humans will definitely test your empathy, negotiation skills and leadership abilities.

Remember when you first started your career and you were simply responsible for your own work? Well now it is your responsibility to inspire, lead and motivate your team to accomplish a set of goals for your organisation! And that can be easier said than done, right?

Not everyone is going to be a joy to work with and ensuring that everything is running smoothly can often prove challenging.

So how can we be a great leader who displays authority, boundless motivation and fairness, whilst at the same time maintaining the respect from our Team Members?

Here are our 10 tips for managing your team effectively:

1. OVER COMMUNICATE

   • It is important for your team to be kept in the loop regarding ongoing and upcoming projects, goals and deadlines, so you need to provide open lines of communication with them regarding these areas. Your team members need to feel that they can approach you to discuss any questions or feedback they may have without feeling like they are being a hindrance.

2. BE REAL

   • Your team understand that you are human too and that sometimes you make mistakes or don’t know the answer to a question. Don’t feel like you have to be perfect and know everything. By being the ‘real you’ your team will feel more relaxed and comfortable with approaching you. They will also be more likely to offer you their support, when they can relate to who you are as a person.

3. BE DECISIVE

   • As a good leader, you will need to assert your authority in certain situations and make important decisions for and on behalf of the team. During these occasions, there is no time for hesitance or indecisiveness. You need to make a decision, communicate the reasons why this is the best decision for the business and stick to your guns.

4. SET A GOOD EXAMPLE

   • Be the team member that you want your team members to be. Your team will look to you for inspiration and guidance and you therefore, you need to consistently demonstrate the professionalism and commitment that you expect from others.

5. PRACTICE SMART DELEGATION

   • Identify the strengths of your team members and ensure you are utilising them to the best of their abilities. Understand your team members talents and passions and delegate tasks to them that will allow them to shine. People perform better and will become more engaged in their role when they feel like they are making a strong contribution to the bigger picture.

6. MANAGE CONFLICTS

   • Conflict is inevitable within teams, however how you deal with the situation can make all the difference. When conflict arises, it is important to recognise it and to act quickly. Do not let conflicts fester and certainly do not ignore it. Be proactive in asking all of the affected parties to come together to resolve the issue before it the impact spreads.

7. BUILD A POSITIVE CULTURE

   • It is important as a leader to know your team members individually and to understand what makes them tick on both a professional and a personal level. Developing this personal bond within the team will encourage trust, loyalty and respect – all of which are the key ingredients for a positive and supportive culture.

8. ACKNOWLEDGE A JOB WELL DONE

   • Build up your team members confidence by acknowledging when they have completed some great work! This will go a long way to increasing their productivity and involvement in the future. These acknowledgements can be on both an individual level and/or a team level.

9. FOCUS ON RESULTS

   • Set clear goals for your team members, such as Key Performance Indicators, and then let them get to work. Give your team members the time and space to complete the tasks required of them. This will send a clear message that you trust their knowledge and skills. Focus on the overall results of the individual and team, and provide feedback on their efforts.

10. GIVE REGULAR FEEDBACK

    • Genuine, frequent and effective feedback increases productivity and team harmony. The purpose of feedback is to improve performance or a situation. So more often than not, you will gain greater feedback acceptance when your approach is positive and focused on the improvement, rather than focused on any negativity or blame. Also, when it comes to feedback remember that while public recognition is appreciated, while public scrutiny certainly is not.

Great team work is a vital component to business success and the quality of the work output by a business is simply a reflection of the quality input behind the scenes. Thankfully, by implementing these 10 tips the team will be in your capable hands.

This article is published by Alodane Pty Ltd trading as Achieve Business Dynamics ABN 21 078 211 408. This article contains general information only and is not intended to represent specific personal advice (Accounting, taxation, financial or credit). No individual personal circumstances have been taken into consideration for the preparation of this material. It is recommended that you obtain your own personal professional advice before making any financial or business decision.