10 commandments for a manager

Leading a team can be difficult, but can be easier if you focus on treating your team right. Here are my 10 commandments on how to get people on board.

MAKE THEM FEEL LIKE PARTNERS: You are the boss but do not need to ‘play boss’. Express trust and confidence in your team. Give them honest feedback; give them a voice and chance to lead so that they feel they have a stake in what’s going on.

ENCOURAGE THEM TO ASPIRE: Widen their horizons and help they see a whole new world. For example, take junior colleagues to ‘big’ meetings where they get to meet people they would normally not meet. This will be good for their careers and for building their confidence.

DON'T BE A MICROSCOPE: By this I mean, don’t blow things up, escalate things or make them worse than they actually are. When people make mistakes, they usually know it; help them learn from them instead of rubbing it in their face.

JUDGE THEM ON POTENTIAL: Don’t be too busy to assess and nurture potential. Ask the right questions, challenge them to do more and to keep pushing toward their full potential. Give people opportunity and don’t run such a tight ship that there’s no room for genuine mistakes.

DON'T FIT ANYONE INTO A MOULD: You can only do this well if you genuinely listen to people and what they need. Give autonomy to those who can handle it and hold them accountable. For those who require supervision, give them that support.

MAKE REWARDS MEANINGFUL: Not all rewards have to cost money. For example, A colleague who completes a complex project successfully might appreciate being given a day or two off ‘on the house’. It adds weight to the ‘thank you’ you’d normally give.

DON'T BE AFRAID TO APOLOGISE: You won’t always get it right. But learning to apologise almost always makes it right. Admitting the mistake could earn you more respect rather than taking a ‘can do no wrong’ approach.

STABILISE THE MOOD SWINGS: Unfortunately, a lot of time wasting happens as employees try to manage their boss’ moods. When the secretary can’t enter your office because you are ‘mad’ about something, work gets delayed. When you leave your bad moods at the gate, everyone will be better off.

DON'T PASS THE BUCK: Don’t blame your team to your boss when things don’t work as planned; it says you’re stabbing the team in the back. And don’t tell your team your boss is the reason you’re not able do your job well. I call it being in the ‘wilderness’- manage it.

HAVE A CAREER GOAL: Please don’t create the impression that it’s a sin for others to aspire to be where you are. If you do your job well, you will move on to bigger things. However, if you intend to stay in your role for a long time, steer your bright sparks in new but interesting directions so that they don’t get bored.

Now take action: Think about 3 ways to make help your team feel like partners?