Employees are a company’s most important asset. Managing a team of smart and dedicated individuals can help your company achieve success. According to renowned business management expert, Kenneth H. Blanchard, “None of us is as smart as all of us.” It all means that if you’re working with a strong team, finding solutions to problems as well as generating ideas wouldn’t be that difficult. That’s why hiring the right people is always essential. Managing them is your next strategic step to running a successful business.

Here are five ways to effectively manage your team.

Hire the right people.

Recruitment is the first step in running your business. Hiring experienced individuals takes a lot of patience. Don’t be in a rush! Screen your applicants thoroughly in the recruitment process. Shortlist them, but don’t just depend on their experiences in the past as well as their educational background. Businesses, especially startups, require candidates that are prepared to take on extra tasks and can work actively and efficiently with a team. For better results, look for a candidate who has worked with startups before or has experience in multitasking different roles within a company.

Provide training. 

Once you’re done hiring enough people for your team, the next step is to train these individuals. Look through your list of projects and start training your team. Use materials that are easy to understand so that they will be able to get instructions quickly. However, always ensure that they are aware of the kind of quality you are looking for. That way, they would be able to meet your expectations and accomplish tasks successfully.

Manage different people differently. 

Everyone is different. Having to deal with different personalities in the workplace is a challenging thing to do. Understanding how they behave, how they think, and how they react to situations is important. We don’t usually experience happy days every day. Everyone has their moments. If you are able to decipher each of your employees’ personalities, moods, and behavior, then why not work your way into giving them a different approach toward training and managing them? One way of bringing your team together would be by organizing team-building activities at least once a year. That way, your team members (including you) can work towards a better and stronger relationship with mutual respect and understanding in the long run.

Be influential.

As a manager, it is important to be influential to your team. Grab the chance now while your company is still young and easy to manage. You have a lot of ideas for the future of the company, and it is your job to influence and inspire your employees to buy into your dream and to think the way you do. However, there might be a few employees who won’t agree with your decisions – and that’s okay. Opposition is healthy in the company. Not everything has to go your way. But it still pays to have influence over your employees, so that you’re all on the same page.

Delegate.

Now that you have a strong team, always remember to delegate. As your business grows, it can be difficult for you to handle minor tasks. It’s time to learn how to entrust these existing tasks to your team members or try outsourcing. Give them authority and ownership with certain tasks, so you don’t have to handle them yourself. All you have to do is supervise and just ask for updates. If you deal with these tasks alone, your punch list will get messed up, thus resulting in missed deadlines and rushed projects. Always make your team feel a sense of ownership so that you’re delegating responsibility not just tasks.

Now, as the leader of your company, you basically have three roles: the manager, the provider, and the partner. Strategic team management is challenging. It pays to have proper motivation and compassion to lead your team. There may be a few bumps along the way, but these will help you learn and become the leader your team will look up to in the long run.

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