Buzz
For smooth and seamless operations, every large organization requires a structured management hierarchy. A skilled manager is someone who can seamlessly integrate into their environment, occasionally making minor adjustments to achieve outstanding results. Becoming an excellent manager means leading by example. It’s one of the most challenging roles: partly because you’ll need to manage others' expectations, and partly because it’s a role that often goes unrecognized. However, some professional tips can help you handle all your responsibilities with style and enthusiasm.
Steps
Motivate Your Employees
Inspire your team. Why do they work here? What keeps your employees loyal to your organization and prevents them from moving elsewhere? What makes a great day for them? What motivates your employees to stay committed after a bad day or week? Don’t assume it’s just about money – most people are more complex than that.
- Remember that we all value what makes us unique. If you manage your team by respecting their values, they will go the extra mile to reciprocate that respect.
- Regularly check in with your employees about how they feel about their work. Encourage them to be honest with you. Then, take action based on their feedback.
- Provide benefits they truly care about. If it’s health, give them time to hit the gym and stay fit. If it’s family, respect the time they may need to pick up or drop off their kids.
Chloe Carmichael, PhD
Clinical Psychologist, Author of “Nervous Energy”
Clinical Psychologist, Author of “Nervous Energy”
Adopting a managerial mindset can require some adjustment. Dr. Chloe Carmichael, a licensed psychologist, explains: "The qualities that help you succeed in the early stages of your career may not be the same ones that make you a successful manager. As a team member, you might receive attention due to the respect for your boss. However, as a manager, you’ll need to learn how to delegate responsibilities, evaluate performance, and set boundaries with your team."
Keep your team in good spirits. A successful manager is someone who can identify employees' strengths and occasionally offer praise. They understand that happiness drives productivity. Aim to do this both publicly and privately.
- For example, during a meeting with higher-ups, mention something one of your employees did well. If the higher-up happens to bring it up with that employee, they’ll likely feel appreciated and recognize your effort to praise them. Such recognition is always valued.
- Praise employees privately for their good work. Be specific and detailed when you do. Even a brief private conversation can positively impact their mood and boost their enthusiasm for work.
Occasionally remind your employees how much you value them. Simply go out and say it. Invite them for coffee and let them know what you appreciate about them: their hard work, effective encouragement of others, openness to feedback, adherence to principles, exceeding expectations, or simply making you happy. When employees realize how much they’re valued, they’ll work harder, enjoy what they do, and spread that positive energy to others.
Treat everyone fairly. Most of us don’t treat others as equally as we should. Bias often occurs without us noticing. We tend to acknowledge those who remind us of ourselves or those who genuinely like us, rather than those who contribute the most to the organization. In the long run, it’s the high contributors who drive the organization toward its goals, so reflect on your behavior to ensure you’re not unintentionally unfair to them, even if they seem unaffected by your positive attitude. Some people may shy away from praise but deeply appreciate it internally.
Treat your employees well. If you treat your workers well and they are happy with their jobs, they will treat customers well and enhance the company’s image. Alternatively, they will treat their employees similarly and maintain a positive corporate culture.
Set Goals
Underpromise and overdeliver. This idea can apply to many areas of life, but in management, it’s a golden rule. Do you want to be someone who sets unrealistic goals that employees can’t meet, or someone who sets achievable goals and then exceeds them? Even if it’s just about perception, perception is incredibly important.
- Don’t be the type who never aims high. Setting realistic goals doesn’t mean always playing it safe and never striving for big achievements. A manager who never pushes beyond their limits might be seen as lacking ambition. Remember, even conservative players know they sometimes have to 'go all in.'
Ensure every employee understands the expectations. Clear, specific goals help employees stay proactive and focused. Clearly outline the desired outcomes, deadlines, and what you’ll do with the results.
Provide goal-oriented feedback. Quick, task-focused feedback can significantly improve employee performance. Meet in small groups or one-on-one and provide detailed comments.
- Schedule feedback sessions. Regular feedback helps employees anticipate when it’s coming and plan their work accordingly.
Ensure you meet the highest standards. We all know the type of manager who constantly yells and bitterly complains when someone makes a mistake but lets things slide when they fail themselves. Ideally, demand more from yourself than you do from your employees. This can create a trickle-down effect: Seeing the goals and standards you set for yourself, employees will admire and respect you, and strive to match your level.
Delegate Responsibilities
Delegate tasks. You’re a manager because you excel at your role. However, that doesn’t mean you have to be good at everything. As a manager, your job is to guide others on how to perform tasks effectively.
- Start small. Assign tasks that can be corrected if mistakes are made. Use these opportunities to teach and empower your team. Gradually, assign more significant responsibilities as you understand their strengths and weaknesses.
- Anticipate potential challenges they might face. Provide appropriate guidance before they begin.
Assign tasks that push employees to their limits. As they take on more responsibilities and prove their capabilities, give them tasks that expand their skills and increase their autonomy. Not only will you discover how much they can handle, but you’ll also help them become more valuable to the company.
Take responsibility for your employees' mistakes. When someone under your authority makes a mistake, don’t blame them—take it as your own, even if it’s not technically your fault. This fosters a company culture where employees feel comfortable making mistakes. This mindset is crucial:
- It allows employees to innovate, learn, and grow. Those who learn from their mistakes develop further and become better employees; those who never make mistakes often play it too safe and never take risks.
Don't take credit for yourself. Allow employees to be recognized for their achievements. This will motivate them to continue pursuing success. A good manager is like a conductor: their job is to coordinate so that every note is as outstanding as possible and, at the same time, harmonize to create a unified whole. An excellent conductor leads by example and doesn't strive to stand out.
- What happens if you're the type of manager who "steals" others' ideas and pretends they're your own? You send a message that you only care about your image and are ruthless enough to sacrifice others to get ahead. That's not a good image, and it certainly won't motivate your team to work harder.
- You might be thinking: if I take responsibility for others' mistakes and don't take credit for what my employees do, what's left for me? If you do good work and manage effectively, you don't need to worry about polishing your reputation. People will notice what you do. More importantly, they'll be impressed by how you motivate your team, stay humble, and don't block others' paths. When you put in the effort, you'll get the rewards you deserve.
Acknowledge your own mistakes. When things don't go as expected, admit what you could have done differently and communicate this clearly to your employees. This shows them that you too make mistakes and how to handle them.
- In many cases, you can do the right thing because of past mistakes. In such moments, be transparent with your team. For example: "I know to press here because I faced this issue early in my career. I made a mistake by pressing the green button. At the time, I thought: 'It will shut down the system and solve the problem,' only to realize—bitterly—that it would make the problem worse!"
Effective communication
Be open. Always remind people that whenever they have questions or concerns, you're there, ready to listen. Maintaining open communication channels helps you identify issues quickly and resolve them as soon as possible.
- Don't become one of those managers who, even unintentionally, make employees feel like they're bothering you every time they raise a question or concern. Instead of seeing it as a problem to solve, view it as an opportunity to show your team how much you want the organization to be a fulfilling place to work.
- Never underestimate or dismiss employees' concerns. Always ensure you address their questions thoroughly.
Care about your employees. Don't let every interaction with your team be purely work-related. Ask about their well-being, share about yourself, and build personal relationships with them.
- Understanding employees' personal lives outside the office can help you recognize when they need more support, such as when they need sudden leave due to a family bereavement. If you can support them through personal life changes, they'll feel more comfortable being loyal to you.
- Know the boundaries. Don't overstep by asking overly private questions about religion, politics, or personal relationships. You can maintain a close relationship without intruding.
Do not mix positive and negative feedback. Imagine you are providing feedback during an employee performance review. You start by praising them as a great team member and highlighting a couple of their strengths. Then, you dive into the shortcomings: "sales dropped this quarter," "revenue is declining," etc. What do you think leaves a stronger impression on the listener, the positive or the negative?
- When positive and negative feedback are mixed, both lose their impact. Positive feedback is overshadowed by the negative, and the negative feedback fails to deliver its full potential. While there may be situations where this approach seems necessary, overall, it diminishes the effectiveness of communication.
- By separating positive and negative feedback, the positive becomes more impactful, and the negative gains a greater sense of urgency.
Listen. Pay attention to what employees and colleagues have to say. You don’t always need to dominate meetings or control the conversation. Make a genuine effort to listen, especially in the following situations:
- When employees actively share their ideas. Don’t interrupt just to ensure your voice is heard. This can turn a collaborative discussion into a controlling one.
- When emotions run high. Allow people to express their feelings in a safe, controlled environment. Suppressed emotions can turn into resentment, damaging professional relationships. Similarly, unresolved emotions can hinder rational discussions—key to a healthy work environment.
- When the team is building relationships or brainstorming. Listen openly as your employees connect and innovate.
Clarify what you hear. A good manager not only strives to communicate clearly but also works to understand what others are saying. You can achieve this by paraphrasing their words as part of the conversation. Use this technique when you’re unsure about their message.
- Instead of asking a colleague, "Sorry, could you repeat that? I’m not sure I understood," say something like, "So you’re suggesting we can boost productivity through meaningful incentives. What might those look like?"
Ask questions. Thoughtful questions show you’re engaged in the conversation and seeking clarity. Don’t hesitate to ask questions out of fear of seeming "ignorant." Effective managers care about understanding what matters and aren’t concerned with how they achieve it. Remember, in many cases, others have the same questions but don’t ask. By asking on their behalf, you act as a facilitator, encouraging team participation. This is the mark of a true leader.
Advice
- Be kind to your team. Without them, success would be impossible.
- Don’t reprimand the entire team for one person’s mistake. For instance, if you notice Hanh is often late, instead of sending a group email reminding everyone about punctuality, address the issue privately with Hanh.
- Avoid asking employees to work overtime. Respect their time and personal responsibilities, and they will repay you with outstanding results for both you and the organization.
- Celebrate team successes, whether it’s a pat on the back, treating them to lunch, or letting them leave early in the afternoon.
- Before resorting to drastic measures like termination, consider transferring the employee to another department. They might thrive in a new environment.
- Never publicly reprimand an employee, no matter how deserving they may seem.
- If termination is absolutely necessary, don’t automatically speak poorly of the employee. It might simply be that the role wasn’t a good fit. Highlight their strengths and skills instead.
- Intervene immediately when conflicts arise between employees. Don’t ignore the issue or suggest they resolve it themselves. In such situations, employees often feel trapped and helpless, especially if the other person holds a higher rank or seniority. Meet with each person individually, then organize a group discussion. Bring in a mediator if needed. Address specific issues rather than vague complaints. For example, "I’m frustrated because I helped Manh when he fell behind, but he never does the same for me" is specific. "I don’t like Manh’s attitude" is too general.
- Being a good manager doesn’t mean being overly lenient. If an employee repeatedly crosses boundaries or fails to meet expectations, use the "sandwich feedback" method or nonviolent communication to address the issue. If that fails, consider letting them go.
- Stormy weather can affect employees with young children. Daycares or schools might close. Should you allow employees to bring their children to work on such days? Check with HR, as there may be safety or insurance concerns. Respecting employees’ time and personal lives is crucial.
