Have you been promoted to a leadership position? Congratulations! It takes hard work and dedication to rise through an organization. But while you may be thrilled to make the transition from entry-level employee to manager, you may also be questioning how to be a good team leader.
As a leader, you will need to learn how to manage an effective team. Good team leaders excel at communication and know how to give feedback. After all, you can’t force individuals to work harder, but you can create an environment that boosts productivity.
Employees enjoy working for managers who exhibit the following:
- Effort to build a clear line of communication between employees and managers.
- Sharing what is expected of employees and how their work supports a bigger picture.
- Belief in the company itself.
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Communicate Goals and the Big Picture
It is helpful for teams to have a clear vision of why they are doing the work they are doing. Then, they will be more motivated to perform their own work and support the efforts of their coworkers.
While managers have to explain the specific duties of each position in order for those tasks to be accomplished, having team meetings where everyone can understand how their work is one piece of a larger picture is beneficial. People are motivated by helping others and strengthening an organization as a whole.
Once team goals are achieved, everyone can celebrate together, boosting morale and giving everyone involved the drive to dive into the next project with optimism.
Good Team Leaders Provide Feedback
It is also important for managers to have a system in place for providing feedback to team members. In the beginning, share key priorities and let employees know how their work will be evaluated. Next, delegate roles. Micromanaging is a common problem for new managers as they may believe they can perform job tasks better themselves, but delegation is a key skill that good team leaders need to master.
When respectful communication is in place, there can be ongoing feedback without a feeling of judgment. A team leader who takes ownership for their own missteps and failures will build trust with their team. As a result, workers will let their managers know about issues immediately, before they become insurmountable problems. When a manager tries to blame others, it can lead to ill feelings.
Trust takes time, but good team leaders recognize that making a commitment to building strong relationships pays off over the long haul. Mutual trust leads to success for all involved.
Have you been promoted to a leadership position? If you need to onboard new hires or seasonal staff, there are support systems you can rely on. Connect with an employment professional for your staffing needs. Staffing Network is a full-service staffing and recruiting firm that specializes in light/skilled industrial, engineering, and operations professionals. Connect with Staffing Network today.
