Employee management is about more than just making sure your team meets deadlines. At least 70 percent of overall team engagement depends on the quality of management they work under, based on Gallup data.
In other words, the more effective you are as a manager, the more satisfied employees often are in their jobs, and the higher the performance metrics they tend to deliver on. As a new business owner, it can be difficult to find the management approach that works best for your team, but it’s not impossible.
While this might require some trial-and-error at first, the techniques below are excellent places to start.
Ensure that Your Behavior Aligns with Your Expectations
Be consistent in your actions and hold yourself accountable to the performance level and work ethic that you expect from your team. This means it’s critical that you:
- Arrive on time for meetings
- Take all deadlines seriously
- Adhere to the policies you create
- Be productive and goal-oriented
Role model how you want your employees to act, but remember that we can’t all be perfect, so don’t forget to own it when you stumble—then be part of the solution. Don’t consider yourself above any assignments and responsibilities that you would ask of someone else. Integrity in leadership breeds respect and trust from the employees.
Delegate Effectively in Order to Avoid Micromanagement
There’s a difference between overseeing your team and controlling their entire task list. Employees want to know that you see them as capable, self-motivated workers who do not require constant supervision to be efficient in their roles.
- Learn how to delegate well, which includes:
- Clarify the parameters and outcome of the project
- Make the necessary time and resources available
- Establish periodic check-ins, then allow them to run with it
Delegation can also increase confidence and dependability, which strengthens the company as a whole.
Have a Clear, Open and Frequent Communication Strategy
Transparency is crucial in the workplace, and your team should be informed on all updates, objectives, and benchmarks relevant to their jobs. When in doubt, over-communicate. Keep the message concise but include all the details they need to know and most importantly, choose just one or two communication platforms to stick with. No one wants—or needs—to be barraged with the same information over email, text, phone, and face-to-face.
Listen to Ideas and Feedback from Each Voice on the Team
You might be the primary decision-maker, but you still need diverse and thoughtful input from others on the team to choose the best course of action for everyone. Listen to the unique and different perspectives around you and tap into their creativity and innovation.
Encourage employees to share their ideas, ask questions, and present feedback. It’s also critical that you stay receptive to feedback about your management style and decisions. Stay curious and humble and then use this input to shift your strategies and improve your decision-making and leadership skills.
Recognize Employee Contributions and Accomplishments
Positive affirmation for a job well done is one of the easiest, most effective ways to help employees reach their goals and potential. What’s more, top-performing teams have a 6:1 positive to negative feedback ratio, according to TalentLyft.
Incentivize your team by continually providing feedback and praising accomplishments. This includes:
- Office-wide announcements for a job well done
- Feedback through personal email
- 1-on-1 meetings to talk about successes and struggles
- Recognition programs for the company as a whole
Allow for Room to Problem Solve and Learn from Mistakes
From small errors to sizeable failures, each person on your team—including you—will make the inevitable mistake. However, this can be an experience for employees to learn and grow in both their problem-solving and conflict resolution skills.
Instead of just reacting, and as a result, patching the issue with a momentary quick-fix, help that employee find the source of their mistake or conflict. This is an opportunity for you to shift from leader to coach and teacher, he; ping your employees grow in their role and career. Work together to handle the set-back with a long-term action plan. This will help to develop a growth mindset, which benefits your employees far beyond the four walls of the office.
Looks for Ways to Strengthen Interpersonal Camaraderie
People want to be part of a unified culture that values human connection and solidarity. Build a work environment where the community is emphasized, inclusion is embraced, well-being is prioritized, and collaboration can thrive.
Team-building is crucial to strengthen coworker relationships and cohesion in the workplace, so make time for social activities too. From virtual coffee hours to weekend team retreats (once it’s safe again), the outcome is deeper camaraderie and engagement.
Create Resources and Opportunities for Skill Development
Your role as a leader far exceeds the daily functions of running a business. In order to serve the customers and maximize output, you also need to invest in each team member’s career development.
What skills could they learn or sharpen to be more effective as a contributor? And moreover, what programs, tools or resources can you offer to equip them in this area? Allocate time, materials, support, and accessibility for upskilling for your team, whether you facilitate that through a course, workshop, book, or virtual content.
Employee Management Tips for New Business Owners Only 22 percent of leaders know what drives employee disengagement, notes a 2020 State of Talent Optimization report. However, the data continues, when employees are aligned with business strategies, you are more likely to outperform the competition by 16 percent, increase top-tier employee retention by 30 percent and boost overall performance by 34 percent. Don’t overlook great employee management skills as a leader. As a new business owner, now is the time to unite, galvanize, and empower your team for success.
