Making of a successful manager: learn what it takes to manage a team

Whether you are a newly appointed manager or a mid-level leader aspiring to climb up the ladder, you will need several key characteristics and skills to manage your team effectively. Overseeing a team is about rallying the members towards common goals while encouraging each to perform at their best.

Here are the critical skills that will be crucial for your success as a team manager.

1. Emphasize clear, effective communication 

Communication is the first skill that you need to master to be able to help team members complete tasks in a consistent, efficient manner and ensure everyone is aligned toward the organization’s strategic goals.

Make sure each team member is aware of what strategic goals they are working on. For an actionable approach and to prevent confusion, detail the specific work and processes they are required to complete. Attentive listening is another aspect of effective communication. Listen to your team members and consider their opinions and input.

2. Decision making

If you are leaping from a non-managerial role to a management position the major shift in your responsibilities will be in the decision-making power. As a manager, you will be prioritizing tasks, delegating duties, allocating resources, and troubleshooting obstacles at the individual level-these decisions will affect the whole team and the project you are overseeing.

The core idea here is to realize the fact that as a team manager you will be responsible for the outcome of the decision. It brings additional pressure but you need to build decision-making skills that enable you to take an authoritative decision to resolve an issue when required. But you also have to recognize situations where decision-making might benefit from consensus building. Such scenarios will require participation from your team members to help guide decision-making.

3. Learn to delegate

As a newly appointed manager, you might find it tempting to micromanage members of your team.

But beware, doing so can be counter-productive and prove to be detrimental to the progress of the project you are overseeing. The most successful managers are the ones who focus on serving rather than managing.

Counter-intuitive, isn’t it?

As a manager, your duty is not to rule your team with iron-fist, but to ensure team members have the required resources to successfully achieve both individual and team goals. You need to nurture delegation skills as it will help you understand which employee is best suited for a particular task.

You expect to feel empowered to make your own decisions once you take up a managerial position, and help your team members feel the same by delegating tasks. At no point, you should indulge in merely giving orders, rather lead through action.

4. Encourage personal development at the team level

When Uncle Ben told Peter Parker, “with great power comes great responsibility” he shared a lesson for anyone who acquires the ability to make decisions that affect others. 

As a manager, you get the opportunity to support the personal development of your team members. Nurturing your team should always be on your agenda. It’s a gradual process that requires you to be supportive of their goals and proactively seek ways to develop and enrich their skills. For example, you can help your team with upskilling by providing them opportunities to attend workshops or undergo training and certification.

Encouraging them to expand their knowledge is one way to nurture them, but don’t forget to motivate your team through positive feedback. Furthermore, learn to give constructive criticism whenever required to assist team members in their professional development.

5. Problem-solving

Being prepared, organized, and aware of the project goals are the virtues of a true manager, but they don’t guarantee smooth sailing. Every manager runs into problems, you are no different. Missed deadlines, unforeseen supply chain troubles, budgetary issues, or members struggling to deliver, your project can face several obstacles.

To navigate through, you will need problem-solving skills. When things will get tough, your team will look up to you. To be an effective manager and lead a team, you will need the ability to evaluate the challenge, critically brainstorm potential solutions and formulate an action plan.

Most influential managers recommend remaining optimistic even when you are worried. Being ready to adapt to the situation and open to ideas will help you face challenges irrespective of their severity.

Being a manager is a learning experience 

Some 83% of employers admit it is crucial to develop leaders at all levels. But given that you require so many skills to be a successful manager, it can be hard. Fortunately, with a little bit of elbow grease, you can learn the core skills needed to be the efficient, action-driven, and nurturing manager that every organization wants.

Talent500 has helped individuals take managerial roles at some of the biggest global firms. Sign up today to climb up the corporate ladder.