Team Management Skills

The core skills needed to manage your team

So you've just got a new job as a manager or supervisor. Congratulations! Or, maybe you've just been given the task of pulling a new team together. What a challenge!

Either way, whether your team exists already, or whether it's your responsibility to create it, what do you do next?

This article looks at some of the key things that team managers need to do if their team is to thrive and succeed. These range from choosing the right people and deciding who does what, to communicating with, developing and motivating people. It also covers some of the most common pitfalls to be avoided.

First Things First

But before that, some definitions are useful. What IS management, exactly? And how does it differ from leadership?

A good starting point is the saying "Leaders do the right things, while managers do things right." What this means is that leadership involves setting direction, communicating that vision passionately to those they work with, and helping the people they lead understand and commit to that vision. Managers, on the other hand, are responsible for ensuring that the vision is implemented efficiently and successfully.

Of course, these two roles overlap considerably – and what's best is when you fulfill both roles. However, the focus here is on the specific skills and responsibilities of managers, and the tools available to them. (For more on leadership, see our leadership section.) After all, there's no point energizing people to work towards a fabulous vision of the future, only to fall flat on your face when it comes to implementation...(Sign in to read more.)

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New Articles (Not included in the Mind Tools E-book.)
* Shows articles available in full only to Career Excellence Club members

How to Be a Good Team Player - Maximizing your contribution
Reducing Sick Leave - Decreasing absenteeism... and its costs
Team Charters - Getting your teams off to a great start
Team-Building Exercises - Planning activities that actually work
Building the Trust of Your New Team - Getting real and living the "we" in team*
Succession Planning - Seamlessly Transferring key knowledge, skills and abilities*
Management by Objectives (MBO) - Aligning people objectives with organizational goals*
Management By Wandering Around (MBWA) - Staying in touch with your team*
Expectancy Theory - Motivate your team by linking effort with outcome*
The Delegation Dilemma
Using Maslow's Hierarchy - Building a happier, more satisfied team*

A full list of Mind Tools articles is available here.

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