Being able to manage a company or
for that matter a team is not a small thing, but it is something that everyone
can get better at. If you are looking forward to brush up your management
skills, mentioned below are 6 tips that will help you be a better boss.
1. Communicate More: You can’t be
a good leader if you cannot communicate in a proper way. Communication is the
key to leadership, a skill that every boss should possess. Employees depend on
their boss and if you can’t communicate what you want them to do, it is going
to create confusion and your subordinates will not be able to work efficiently
and you will desperately fail to motivate people if you can’t communicate your
vision to them.
You should be equally efficient
in both talking and listening and should pay detailed attention to what you say
and write. Importantly, you should also be aware of how you communicate
non-verbally. If you say ‘great work’ with a grumpy face, you subordinates will
surely pick on that.
2. Lead instead of Manage:
Leaders are found at all levels of an organization; make sure that you are one.
Leaders’ practise what they preach and that is the easiest way they motivate. A
leader is approachable and subordinates don’t fear sharing their plans with
them. A manager will give orders to do a certain work, while a leader will lead
the team in achieving that goal. Leaders not only see to the progress of work
but also pay close attention to the development of their subordinates.
3. Invite Others to Solve
Problems: Yes, we understand that as a boss you are accountable for everything
that goes on the organization, everything good and bad. But this definitely
does not mean that you have to do everything all by yourself. Your team needs
help and so do you. Invite people to solve problems and team members will feel
more responsible and will understand that you understand their worth. Sharing
work also reduces the burden on everyone.
Sometimes it so happens that
people are not interested in taking up additional responsibility even once in a
while. Here it is your duty to try and motivate them for the greater good or
remove them from the team. Either way, you will be able to recognize the
strengths of others as well as yourself.
4. Analyse your Own Performance:
For professional satisfaction it is very necessary to constantly keep growing
and you being a boss shouldn’t stop you from the same. You should make it a
point to analyse and scrutinize your own performance. If you are making errors
publicly don’t try and shift the blame on a subordinate, instead accept your
fault and try and make amends to it.
Be conscious of your weaknesses
and make sure you work on getting rid of them. When your team sees you do the
same, they will look up to you in a different light and will not be afraid to
make mistakes and learn from them. Remember, if you are doing something right,
your whole team benefits from it.
5. Reward Participation and
Accomplishments: Identifying problems is the first step towards decision making
and it is your right to let your subordinates know what they need to change or
improve on with regards to work. But, if you constantly keep doing so, it will
only demoralize them. You should make sure that you give your subordinates
enough recognition for the work they do. You should reward their
accomplishments in order to keep them motivated.
Everyone likes to be acknowledged
for the work they do and it is your responsibility as a boss to make sure that
your employees feel valued and confident. A simple ‘thank you’ or ‘wonderful
work’ or ‘we’ll use that idea’ works perfectly. You should reward your employees
for their performance; this may be with the help of a bonus, or a raise or may
just be a treat of donuts.
6. Lighten Up and Do Something
Fun: You may be a workaholic, but not everybody is one. Should be aware that no
one likes to work all the time and if they are forced to, they might just be
irritated. As a boss organize team lunches or go out for musical nights with
your team. You could also have your team participate in team building exercises
and inter/intra office sports competitions. Lighten up a little and make work
fun for everyone.
SUMIT MANWAL