Managing a large team takes a lot of diplomacy, effective communication and a good lot of trust. It’s almost impossible to run a great team by doing everything yourself so learning how to manage well is also about learning to delegate properly.

But when you are new to management, learning the most effective management styles can take some time. You aren’t going to be the best manager in the world overnight! It takes all teams time to adjust to a new manager and you will all feel your way together. And, if you are already a manager but want to revisit your style, no-one is going to question your desire to improve.

Everyone wants a great manager at work!  

So, if you want to back off and give your team space to thrive, you should definitely give these tips your full attention – you might be surprised!  

Use Tech to Your Advantage

No-one likes having their boss breathing down their neck all the time but you still need a way to monitor activity and track results. This is where tech really comes in useful as you can see what is going on without having to ask for confirmation all the time. Tech can be quite passive so this should only ever form part of your strategy but it is also a comprehensive way to track a lot of information without feeling too invasive.

If you have a lot of employees going out to customer’s houses, field management software will really benefit you. Tracking where your employees are and where they are up to in each job is the best way to make sure that everyone has enough to do, they are working efficiently and doing a good job.

But there is plenty of tech to keep you going. Platforms like Slack and Trello are ideal for keeping projects together and bringing lots of different aspects under one roof. The easier it is for your team to work, the better the results they provide will be.

Give Opportunities for Growth

It might not sound like a management technique but encouraging growth is actually a really important part of building your team up. Giving everyone a chance to improve and grow will only benefit the group as a whole and empowering each team member to search for courses and further learning opportunities will make a big difference.

As you encourage further learning, you are also encouraging more self-sufficiency. When your team are in the habit of figuring out how to do something for themselves, they won’t be turning to you for guidance all the time. Actively asking your employees to go and learn about different things is a good start.

Providing regular constructive feedback is a good way to check in with each team member and assess where they want to go next and how you can help them achieve their own goals. Asking team members to support each other is another free way to build your team up and strengthen their connections too. A bit of interdepartmental work shadowing is also a good way for team members to learn off each other and show off their own learning.

Encourage Self Sufficiency and Problem Solving

Micromanagement is an easy trap to fall into, especially when you are new to a team and not yet sure what they are capable of. Micromanagers are control freaks who feel really anxious about letting go and seeing what happens – a total disaster for creativity and innovation! But the worst thing is that because micromanagers never try new things, they never discover better ways of working and so they miss some of the best opportunities.

Relax. Most people aren’t going to let you down and if you give them a chance to impress you, they are much more likely to pull out all the stops. Keep in mind that as a manager, your main interest is the result. Does it really matter to you whether someone does something completely different and gets the same end result? If you let go a bit, you might find that their method is actually better and more time efficient!

If you are struggling to relinquish your control, start small. Keep your instructions simple and, as you gradually build up the trust with your team, monitor their progress less and even remove yourself from the group while they get on with things. Good managers are never seen ‘managing’, they are facilitators, not dictators.

Be Open to New Ideas

One of the great things about relaxing your management style is that more team members are likely to approach you with new ideas. If you are constantly shutting meetings down and insisting on doing things your way, the pressure on you to keep coming up with new ideas will grow to breaking point.

Encouraging your team to speak up and share their ideas can be nerve-wracking for everyone. However, if you make it really easy, they will gradually get into the swing of things. Simple ideas like an anonymous comment box, monthly creative meetings with no particular agenda and a general acceptance that small mistakes are no big deal will really help get the ball rolling.

A great manager is always the person cheerleading their team from the side. Your job isn’t to carry a group of people but give them the confidence and skills they need to do an amazing job. You would never expect a sports manager to rush onto the field and take over from the top player, so you shouldn’t either!

Learning to let others shine while you take a background role is tough on the ego but good for the team.

Backing off and giving your team space to thrive is a scary thing to do but when your team realise that they’ve got that space, they will certainly grow to fill it. Go slowly, take a step at a time and gradually see who needs a bit more support and who is better getting on with things on their own.

© New To HR