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The telltale sign of any good manager is their ability to do what their job title suggests: manage people. This in no way implies that the often detrimental and almost derogatory practice of micromanaging should be commonplace even with the best managers.

Being a good leader, manager or supervisor means playing to your team members’ strengths. Instead of utilizing a cookie-cutter approach and designating tasks based on a pre-determined agenda, study each employee and be fully attuned to their capabilities. What each person brings to the table is unique. You can’t ignore that if you want a truly productive work environment.

Uplift your team members and work with them instead of ordering them around. A nosy boss who thinks of you as an incompetent worker can make life at work depressing and difficult. This doesn’t mean you, as leader, should sit back and stop being involved. Just avoid scrutinizing every break, every social media log-in and every day off they take. Give your team room to breathe, and they’ll give you back tenfold.

Some important things to remember when trying to boost productivity are:

• Give Them Ownership
  Don’t hand over everything to a particular individual or group. Let them feel like the project they’re working on is truly theirs. They’ll be more invested in something they feel a connection to. They’ll make decisions and stay accountable for them.
• Communicate
  Have a clear idea of their abilities and expertise to assess if they’re the right fit considering the goals and parameters of the project. The only way you’ll ever get anywhere is to hear people out, even if you disagree. Communication gaps within your team are a recipe for disaster, so learn to be clear and not beat around the bush. Being assertive, however, does not equal being inconsiderate, so be kind! That’s what makes a good leader.
• Set SMART Goals
  Be realistic about your project’s outcomes, goals and aims. Set Specific, Measurable, Applicable, Relevant and Time-boundgoals that will keep you on track as a team. When everyone knows what’s needed and expected, they’ll pick up the slack.
• Know Your Team
• Each person you work with has specific strengths. Make use of them. If someone has amazing quantitative skills, put them in analytics; if someone else has great organizational skills, use them for logistics. You’ll maximize productivity by working on specifics. It’s a holistic but targeted approach that’s bound to work!
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  In the end, don’t forget to show your appreciation. Hire a professional keynote speaker when you close a major project. A comedic motivational speaker like Steve Gilliland is excellent for boosting your team’s morale on any occasion! Get in touch with us today to hire Steve for your next big event.