Sometimes we forget that it can take an entire team to run a project or office. But when you have a team of managers, it is important to remember their unique traits and qualities that made them part of the team. Know that they made it onto your team for a reason, and that they were taught everything they needed to know to start out. Trust that you have taught them well and rely on them to do a good job.
Do Not Micromanage
Assuring that your managers do a good job without crossing the line into micromanaging can be hard for anyone. It can be hard to navigate through the office without wanting to constantly check in on them or offer your input randomly. One of the best ways to remedy this is to; first of all, trust your managers and their job abilities. Once you can do that, you can let the manager seek accountability for their actions and own their responsibilities. When they feel in charge of their position and themselves, managers will perform better and not feel as though you are breathing down their neck to do so.
Promote Open and Honest Communication
One thing that can hinder a relationship among managers is poor communication. It’s easy to believe that your managers will always be forward with you and will have no trouble approaching you with problems; but this isn’t necessarily true for some groups. To ensure your employees feel comfortable with you and with each other, promote communication that is open and honest with each other. Allow everyone to give their input and to not hold back on their wants and needs. Be responsive to them and support feedback from others. Having this type of communication builds respect among the group and helps build trust along the way.
Reward Initiative
Managing your team and helping them grow can be a challenging experience. As a leader, it is important to encourage initiative among your managers and motivate them to do better. One way to accomplish this is to by rewarding the initiative that managers take on the job. Whether they reached out to help other employees or took on a new task by themselves, managers are always showing us how they are taking on more initiative.
In return, upper management should reward these actions and can do so in various ways. Some rewards include simple recognitions, gifts, or even promotions. When the manager feels rewarded for the hard work they’ve embarked on, they are more willing to take pride in their work and continue doing a good job. It is important to recognize the initiative itself, and not just the outcome.
Trust, But Verify
“Trust, but verify” is a common tool used by many leaders today in helping manage their group of employees. We can’t always assume the job is done right; sometimes the work needs to be verified or reviewed. It doesn’t involve micromanaging, but it involves periodic steps of checking in or verifying an employee’s work. Common methods include asking an employee to send an email when they are finished with certain phases or setting reminders to speak with the manager in person to check on progress. Managers often make the mistake that previous information is automatically absorbed and understood and overlook the need for verification. But taking a few minutes to look over any project periodically can save everyone a lot of time and man hours in the event that something needs to be corrected.
This post is from March’s topic on Manager Management, which is also a course on our Mini-MBA program online from Harvard Square.