The responsibility of being put in charge of a team comes with a lot of obligation. Of course, the higher ups expect you to meet established goals. But what often gets overlooked is your duty to the employees who report to you. Here are some tips on how to be a straightforward and reliable boss who will gain the respect and allegiance of your staff.
Be a Leader
It’s tempting to buddy up to your employees in order to establish a camaraderie, but the truth is that you are their manager and it’s hard to completely loosen up around you. Make specific requests and realize people will be hesitant to speak out against you if they don’t agree. Make sure they know if the door open for ideas that differ from yours.
Be Direct and Specific
If you have expectations and limitations, lay them out up front. No one likes to spend hours brainstorming just to be told their vision is too expensive or consuming to take on. Time is precious–when you give instructions, think about what you would like to be told if you were the employee in order to be your most productive.
Be Respectful
If you’re taking over a new team, realize that they were a group with ideas and output before you came along. Even if you don’t agree with how they operated before you arrived, tread lightly with criticism–any negativity might seem like a direct attack.
Be Trusting
Work must go on, even as you get up to speed on your new role. You won’t be able to be directly involved in all the goings on of your team as you get your bearings. Trust that everyone is there to do a good job.
Establishing a solid manager-employee relationship from the outset will do wonders for your time at a company. If your team is on your side (and they know your on theirs!) they’ll go the extra mile to perform at the top of their game.
