Micromanaging is a serious problem in any business. Arguably, it is a bigger problem in smaller organizations, but it can happen anywhere. You might have already met your fair share of managers who need to control every single part of a project, no matter how big or small, regardless of the area of their expertise.
This type of managing drastically decreases creativity and initiative within a team. It also leads to lower productivity because one person feels the need to handle all tasks assigned to a group of people.
Learning how to delegate and developing trust in your team are crucial aspects of effective management.
Understanding Your Goals
The first step in setting up your team for success is to meet with your boss and discuss professional goals. Seek to understand how you and your team can meet these goals in a way that makes everyone happy. The more specific information you get about the goals, the more effective your team will be in achieving them.
Relaying everything you’ve learned in this meeting with your supervisor to the team is the next important step. Organize a meeting where you help your team understand what you’re setting out to accomplish and how it fits into the objective of the organization as a whole.
Create a Team Scoreboard
Once everyone is on the same page, you can proceed to delegate tasks according to your goals. Set up a team scoreboard and delegate someone to update it regularly. Each person on your team should be clear on their responsibilities and how they contribute to the overall team performance.
You could also consider assigning “stretch tasks,” meaning more challenging tasks that require specific team members or the entire team to stretch developmentally. Stretch tasks are great if you want to help your team develop their skills and improve.
Celebrate the Wins
All work and no play don’t make for fun workplace environments. To motivate your team to keep completing tasks effectively, don’t forget to celebrate each victory. Celebrate the small achievements by treating the whole team to lunch every once in a while. Celebrate the big victories with elaborate team building activities where everyone can relax and enjoy themselves outside of the office. (Post Covid)
If someone does a great job, commend them. People react a lot better to positive reinforcement than to constant criticism. Let them know when you’re satisfied with their work, and they’ll continue working even harder.
Trust Your Team
Above all else, trust that your team is filled with capable professionals who want to succeed just as much as you do. If you develop a good relationship with your team members and keep them motivated and engaged, very little will get in the way of productivity.
Nothing is worse than people toiling away at their tasks solely because their boss told them to. Make it clear that you rely on your team and have their back no matter what, and they’ll do the same for you and your company.
Discover the best way to organize your team to increase their productivity, as well as how to consistently connect with your leadership team and predictably turn them into highly engaged employees. Call me for some complimentary advice. Book an appointment at https://go.oncehub.com/GregNichvalodoff or call me at +1 (604) 943-0800.
