One of the biggest challenges companies have been facing is the lack of good management skills in the workplace. As globalization continuously transforms day-to-day business operations, the need for exceptional managerial and command skills has become more pressing than ever before, especially for young leaders.
In Singapore, SMRT CEO Neo Kian Hong is known for his excellent leadership skills in managing the leading multi-modal public transportation in the country. His notable contributions have inspired many industry leaders when it comes to managing teams.
In this article, we’ll talk about the ways in how you can improve your management and commanding skills as a workplace leader. We’ll also discuss ways on how you can improve and develop them.
Know your team
Whether you’re promoted to a managerial position or you’ve been holding a senior role for a while, it’s important to get to know the people around you.
Your team is composed of unique individuals with varying skills, motivations, and weaknesses. They need a good leader who can utilize their unique personalities and abilities to foster a healthy work environment where trust and engagement are primary considerations.
For example, one person may be the least fun to work with, but they’re the most hardworking employee you have. Meanwhile, that one worker who has poor attention to detail may be the most dependable employee when it comes to customer engagement. If you have a good grasp of their strengths and weaknesses, it becomes easy to delegate tasks related to their strengths, which yields better outcomes for the company.
Employee engagement begins with the leaders themselves; those who take time and make efforts to get to know their staff have a great chance of building a balanced workplace culture. If you will be replacing another manager, talking to them may be a great start. This will help you determine the previous manager’s management approach and the team members’ work styles.
A great tip is to organize an informal get-together or a team-building activity to help you and your team develop a sense of camaraderie and connection in the workplace. Since most of your daily interactions with them are strictly professional in nature, it can make a difference if you casually socialize with them once in a while.
Establish an open-door policy
Once you have established the groundwork with your team and got to know them well, it’s time to create a work environment where they can easily express their ideas, have their opinions heard, and receive valuable advice from their coworkers.
You can do this by creating an open-door policy by engaging with employees frequently, encouraging your team to ask questions, empowering people by giving credit, and responding to feedback immediately.
Direct and clear communication improves motivation, problem-solving, and motivation. For example, if one of your employees discovers a new approach to a certain task, having an open-door policy encourages them to share their insights. This will allow you to discover new techniques and innovations which can be beneficial to the organization. If the team encounters an issue, you can always extend your help to come up with a solution. As a result, you’ll find it easier to solve problems before they get worse.
In an open-door policy, it’s important to be proactive and consistent in giving attention to your subordinates whenever they ask for feedback or come with questions. More importantly, make sure to conduct regular check-ins once in a while in order to track their progress. When everyone is on the same page, this makes it easier for the entire team to work towards the company’s goals.
Communicate your goals
An effective manager knows the importance of communicating company goals with the team. Having a well-crafted objective creates a more structured environment in which everyone understands what needs to be accomplished, not just when and how it should be done. This fosters initiative and creativity when forming a collaborative environment with the team.
When discussing goals with your team, it’s important to use a goal-setting framework to break down complex goals into simple, actionable steps. One example is the SMART technique that stands for specific, measurable, achievable, relevant, and timely. This framework incorporates all these criteria to help teams focus their efforts and improve the chances of achieving the company goal. You can also apply the same technique when setting personal growth objectives with individual employees. If your management style directly affects the organization and its objectives, it’s easy to keep the entire workforce engaged.
If you aspire to improve your command and management skills, make sure to incorporate the above-mentioned strategies into your work life. Becoming a successful manager is a long, complex process, so make sure not to rush it. It may take plenty of time, energy, and continuous learning to develop, but the outcomes will make every effort worth it.
