When you manage a team, you want to get everyone working together to achieve a common goal. You want to make sure everyone is being utilized in the best way to achieve the best outcome.
As a team manager, you need to get the most out of each person. This starts with knowing how to tap into each person’s strengths and special skills so that they can bring them to the table. Some people on your team might not click right away due to difference in personalities and experience, but as a manager, it’s your job to help find the common ground.
How can you foster success on a team with diverse personalities?
1. Get to know your team
Some managers neglect this important task. They simply dive right into the planning process. You cannot get the most out of your team members if you don’t know what their strengths are and what’s important to each person. Understanding what makes each employee tick is key.
You should find out what kind of experience each person has and the projects they have worked on in the past. How many people on your team have worked in similar team environments before? What does each person expect to gain from working with the team? What expectations does each person have for the team as a whole?
2. Set expectations for each employee
Getting the most from the team by working together requires a strong effort from the manager to set the tone. Managers need to keep the focus on the strengths of the team, getting the team to use those strengths to solve the problem at hand. The manager needs to create an environment that enables each team member to contribute toward the success of the project and experience professional development as well.
3. Know when to praise and when to blame
There is an old management saying – praise in public, criticize in private. People on your team need to know you appreciate their efforts. If you want to get the most from them, you need to recognize and reward their efforts. This recognition is most effective when it is done in public, when others can see the recognition as well. It means more to the person and it can help to motivate others to achieve greater success.
Criticism, however, should be dispensed in private. There is no need to embarrass someone before his colleagues if he has made a mistake. This only creates bad feelings and resentment, and may cause dissension within the team.
4. Give the team freedom
To get the most from your team, you need to give them the freedom to work in a way they prefer, that enables them to give their best effort. You need to trust them, while at the same time setting appropriate expectations and establishing accountability.
If your company is looking for people who will make an impact, Opti Staffing can help. We take the time to learn about your company, your culture and your needs, and then we work to make the best match between the worker and the company. Give us a call today.
