This is branded content. Did you know that one in four managers has never had any formal management training? That they're promoted, get put into a role, and automatically expected to perform at the maximum potential? If you're a new manager, taking your first steps as a leader can have challenges and triumphs. What does it take to successfully team build? Is it a matter of leaving your team alone to do things their way? Or, are there strategies that you can deploy as a new leader that will not only get the most out of your team but will also help you get to the top of your leadership game? Let's get out our goals and put on our name tags, Australia - let's discover what it takes to build a successful team. Each employee is valuable It's vital to remember that when you're managing a team, you should strive to be a leader - embracing your team in the business process and helping each of your team members to get the most, not only out of their role but what they can contribute to the team. This can't be done by looking at skill sheets and allocating time on its own - in fact, a good manager needs to make an effort to get involved and engage every member of their team, to ensure that they know they're supported and that as a manager, you're here to enable their best work. It's well known that employees leave bad managers - with more than 35% of respondents in a recent survey identifying that cultivating a positive and inclusive team culture was a skill that managers needed to improve. Strive to include your team in the journey - after all, it can be expensive and time-consuming to hire and train new staff if your current team decides to leave. Facilitators outperform micromanagers It's important that as a manager, you adopt a style of leadership that allows you to complement the skills and attributes of your team, while also enabling them to do their best possible work. Often, managers look to specific management styles, in an attempt to drive the most productive work out of their team. Two of the common types of leaders that are seen in workforces include the role of the facilitator and the role of the micromanager. Facilitators allow for ideas to develop, guiding teams to achieve corporate goals by helping the team understand how their roles fit into the bigger picture. This can sometimes seem contrarian to how a manager is perceived - as a facilitator may not necessarily be involved in every conversation, just in those that are relevant and that they may be required for. Micromanagers, on the other hand, act vastly differently from facilitators, often providing excess supervision of the work that team members contribute. A micromanagement style may be effective in some situations, such as when a new starter needs guidance in a role, but in most cases, micromanagement can be costly, stressful, and cause a destructive cycle in your leadership. Have a clear idea of the journey As a manager, you're not expected to understand everything - however, it's ideal that you have a clear understanding of the goal and the journey that'll need to be taken to get there. Managers often need to communicate the vision of a project with their teams - being able to explain that to your team can be incredibly powerful. Having a clear set of standards, supported by team values, can help entrench a positive performance culture in the workplace - where individual team members strive to bring the best out of each other. With a clear and well-understood vision, this can be taken further - employees understand what is required to complete a project and the standard that is expected of both themselves and of management. Ensure you listen A vital skill that is often forgotten by poor managers is the ability to listen and encourage strategies that will help your team naturally form informed debate and consensus. As a manager, your role isn't to direct team members from the top down - often, it's acting as a facilitator, to provide the space and insights necessary for team members to develop their own creative decisions. Managers who don't listen to their teams do so at their peril - many a movie has covered the pitfalls of employees who have lost confidence in bad managers. It doesn't take a lot to get the most out of your team - in fact, there are a remarkable number of simple strategies that can take you from an uncertain manager to a leader that enables their employees to do their best work. Get to know your team and convey the journey to encourage a positive working relationship. By facilitating and listening, you'll set your team up for the best possible success, as you'll be able to respond to team issues in a supportive way, as they arise. Starting a new management role can be tricky, but it's hoped that with these tips, you'll find that it's not as difficult as many envision. Congratulations on the new role - here's to many exciting leadership opportunities ahead!
