Management

How to be a good manager; a question I have often been asked.

When I first started my various business ventures, it was just me and after a year or so, my good friend Brain came on board and it wasn’t until after he started with me that I started learning the ropes.

You may know that I was the youngest manager in McDonald’s when I was 16 or so and that meant that had a team of teenagers my age and older adults working with and I guess for me. At first, this threw up some problems for both myself and the staff members who thought I was too young to be in that position.

I quickly learnt that there is a right and wrong way to do things and the key to a successful business is making your staff feel appreciated and happy which in turns required you to be a good manager and boss.

No matter if you’re a first-time manager, been doing it for years or find you’re having some problems, I have come up with a list of some of my best advice for being a great manager.

Know your staff

I can’t stress this enough, being a manager is all about getting to know your staff, their strengths and weaknesses and helping them to develop.

By delegating and putting staff in the right areas will ensure that you get the best work out of them and they feel a benefit from learning and producing great work.

Talk to Them

Find out what they like and what they don’t, if they’re struggling and what they think can be improved.

Some of your staff may have the best ideas for your business whether it be great marketing campaigns, product or service improvements. Take the time to have a monthly or quarterly review and really see how they are feeling, this will help them to feel more connected to you and improve their productivity.

Relax a Little

Not everything has to be so serious, all the time.

Have some fun in the office or out of it, put on some music in the office and order some pizza and beers on a Friday.

This will boost morale and again, improve relations amongst the team and productivity.

Recognise Achievements

This is hugely important if you want to keep good staff with you and on your side.

People like you be recognised, like you and I, so your staff members are no different.

Again, this can be done in monthly reviews or when you notice they are doing well, just say – it goes a long was and can really boost someone’s confidence.

Improve the Office Environment

Having a good office environment does wonders for your team.

Money obviously can be an issue but I’m not saying you need a penthouse, Google style office, you just need a few things to help your team thrive. From natural light to good quality equipment and clean offices, there is plenty you can do to make your team feel better about their work environment, if you’re struggling; ask them. Do this anonymously or just ask for some ideas, they are the ones who work there so they know what they need to work better.