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Management is all about connecting with the people on your team. So how do you effectively manage a team? With common knowledge, of course. These are a few back-to-basics rules that will help you develop management skills that really matter.
Body Language
Like it or not, your body speaks volumes, even when you are silent. Here's how to express an attitude that's appropriate for a leader. 1. Stand tall. Keeping your shoulders back and holding yourself up to your full height will give you an air of confidence. 2. Take your hands out of your pockets. Putting your hands in your pockets is often seen as a sign that you have something to hide. 3. Stand with your arms crossed behind your back. This will help you adjust your posture, and it leaves your hands in a position that is open and not intimidating. 4. Make eye contact. Always look directly into the eyes of the people you are speaking with. This shows you're interested and also gives you a sense of confidence. 5. Sit up straight. Even if you're at an 8 a.m. meeting and feeling tired, it's important to sit up straight in your chair. Slouching makes you look disinterested and can give off an unwanted air of laziness. 6. Face the person you're talking to. This shows you are interested and engaged in the conversation. 7. Shake hands firmly. For many, a handshake is a reflection of the person you're shaking hands with. You don't want to come across as unsure or overbearing, so make sure yours is professional and confident. 8. Always smile. Smiles are contagious and will make others feel positive when you're around. 9. Look your best. You don't have to be model perfect every day, but you should dress appropriately and neatly. Clothes can have a big impact on the way you're perceived. 10. Walk confidently. Keep your head up and take even strides.
Meeting Deadlines
No one will be happy if your team has to rush around at the last minute to complete a project. Follow these tips to make deadlines less stressful for everyone. 11. Only promise what you can realistically deliver. Don't create deadlines that you know you can't meet. By only promising what you know you can do, you'll be able to finish on time. 12. Set clear goals. Once you know what you need to accomplish, it helps to know how and when you want to do it. Put your goals down on paper and make sure everyone on your team gets a copy. 13. Organize a team. Many of your employees will have unique strengths and training that
can make them great assets to certain projects. Pick a team that has the right skills to carry out the job. 14. Delegate tasks. Spread work among your employees in a way that doesn't leave anyone overburdened while also allowing the project work smoothly. 15. Create milestones. Creating milestones for you and your team will help you keep track of your progress and also give you a sense of accomplishment as you reach each milestone. 16. Keep communication open. Keeping everyone in touch with the status of the project is key to making sure it's completed on time. 17. Do it right the first time. Planning ahead will help prevent you from delivering a substandard product. Having to redo something for a client costs money, and, more than likely, future business opportunities. 18. Stay organized. Staying organized will help keep you from wasting time chasing down important documents and information. 19. Make sure expectations are clear. Be sure that each member of your team knows what their specific responsibilities are. This will save time and prevent tasks from being overlooked. 20. Create a plan. Compile your goals and milestones into a comprehensive plan for attacking any project you are given. This way, you can make sure you're staying on schedule and that all of your employees will be clear about how and when things should be done.
31. Provide motivation. Sometimes employees need a morale boost. Provide them with encouragement to get a project rolling.
Manage Yourself
Being a good manager isn't just about what you can encourage other people to do, it's also about managing your own performance. 32. Be accessible. Don't hole up in your office all day come out and visit with your employees. Let them know that they can always come to you with problems and concerns. 33. Be open to constructive criticism. It may not always be what you want to hear, but listening to constructive criticism gives you the chance to learn and grow from your mistakes. 34. Accept responsibility. Part of being the boss is accepting responsibility for the mistakes of all that you manage, not just your own. 35. Know there's always room for improvement. No matter how good you think you are, your job can always be done better. Always be willing to learn. 36. Improve your skills. Learning is a lifelong process. You're never too old to take a class or ask a co-worker to help you improve your knowledge. 37. Explain things simply. Don't use big words or technical jargon just to sound smart and impress others. Your employees will understand and perform better if you explain simply and clearly what you need. 38. Instruct rather than order. You may be the boss, but you don't have to be bossy. You'll have more success if your requests are more tactfully delivered. 39. Include your staff in your plans. Don't make your work top secret; let your employees know what's going on and how they are expected to contribute. 40. Know your subordinates' jobs. You don't want to be caught with inferior job knowledge. 41. Be flexible. It's fine to be firm in what you expect, but allow for flexibility in how it gets done. 42. Get regular feedback. Your employees and superiors can give you valuable feedback on how to improve your performance. Use this to your advantage. 43. Know your limitations. You can't be everywhere doing everything all at once. Know the limits of your time and abilities and say no to things you know you can't do.
Boosting Productivity
Getting the most out of your day can be difficult with a busy schedule, but you can use these tips to help you maximize your time in order to be better available to employees. 44. Get the most out of meetings. Be organized and prepared for meetings to increase effectiveness and time savings. 45. Focus your energy on things that matter. Don't let trivial tasks take time away from things that are really important. 46. Identify your time-stealers. Everyone has little things that detract their attention and make them lose focus. Figure out what these are and work to eliminate them, if only for a few hours a day. 47. Be punctual. Being on time is a big deal. Never keep people waiting for appointments or
meetings if you can help it. 48. Respond to your correspondence within a reasonable amount of time. You don't have to be chained to your inbox, but make sure you respond to emails within a few hours whenever possible. 49. Do only what is necessary. There are times when going above and beyond works, but doing so on a daily basis can derail your progress on more important issues. Get the key things done first, then see if you have time for additional things. 50. Stick to schedules and routines. While they may not be the most exciting things, schedules and routines can help streamline and improve your productivity. 51. Organize and manage your schedule. Use any tools and utilities you have at your disposal to prioritize your day and keep track of what you need to get done. 52. Plan more than you think you can do. While this may sound stressful, it can actually be a great motivator. If you manage to get everything done, you'll enjoy a great sense of achievement. 53. Get to work early on occasion. Sometimes an uninterrupted half hour in an unoccupied office can help you get key things done or allow you to plan your day before there are any distractions to slow you down. 54. Know that sometimes stress is good. While too much of anything, especially stress, can be bad, sometimes a little stress can be the motivation to get you moving, allowing you to get more done. 55. Do your least favorite tasks first. Get your most tedious and least desirable tasks out of the way earlier in the day. After that, everything else will be a breeze.
your office needs to do work effectively. 65. Update when necessary. Using obsolete equipment and programs can really slow you down. Update when it makes sense so you won't get left behind by competitors. 66. Don't be wasteful. Every sheet of paper, paper clip and pen is a cost on your budget. Use materials wisely and don't waste them out of haste or carelessness.
Being able to identify and maximize them can help make adapting less painful. 80. Be quick to adapt. Learn to adapt to changing situations quickly and be able to change plans on the spur of the moment if the situation requires it. 81. Stay tuned to external factors. Your business is affected in many ways by outside factors. Keep abreast of these so you can anticipate any sudden market changes that would affect how you need to manage. 82. Put in place a Research and Development plan. Encourage innovation and creativity to stay ahead of the demand for newer and better products and services. 83. Keep an eye on the competition. Don't let the competition get the best of you. Keep upto-date with what they're doing and use it to your advantage in managing your business.
Resolving Problems
Whether problems are internal or external, they can make your management duties a nightmare if you don't handle them correctly. Here's how to stay on top of them. 84. Stand up for employees. If other departments or managers are bearing down hard on your employees, stand up for them. 85. Fix what's broken. Don't waste time placing blame. Take care of fixing the problem before dealing with any possible repercussions. 86. Manage and control your emotions. Don't let anger or frustration affect your problem resolution. If you are emotionally invested in a situation, cool down before discussing it or bring in an outside mediator. 87. Learn when to step in. Some problems might resolve themselves if you just let them be, but you need to be aware of times where you'll need to step in and take control of a situation. 88. Take the blame. If you've made a mistake, fess up. It'll give you more time to work on fixing the problem instead of talking your way out of taking the rap. 89. Get the facts first. Before you pass judgment on a situation, make sure you have the whole story. Listen to employees and refrain from questioning anyone's integrity without first ensuring that you've gathered all the data. 90. Rise above the crisis. Learn to separate yourself from the problem and rise above the fray. You'll be able to think more clearly and make a better decision on how to rectify the issue. 91. Don't ignore problems. A small problem can easily snowball and become something much more difficult to fix. 92. Try to depersonalize problems. Let employees know that the problem isn't with them but with their actions. Don't make it personal.
95. Make a difference to your employees. Don't just be a generic manager stand out as a leader and role model for your employees. 96. Gain your employees' trust and respect. You'll have a much easier time managing employees when they respect your rules and boundaries and trust your leadership. 97. Be empathetic to personal problems. Whether it should or not, what happens outside of work can have a big affect on the quality of work produced. Be sensitive if employees have personal issues that keep them from concentrating on work. 98. Be unique as a manager. Every position demands something different and you should be proud to be adept at your particular role rather than trying to emulate other managers. 99. Remember that ethics matter above all. Be honest and reliable in all of your business and personal relationships. 100. Be on the lookout for new ideas. You never know where your next great inspiration will come from. 101. Get to know your employees. Learn more than just their names. Get to know your employees' family backgrounds, likes and dislikes. Doing so will make you more personable.