A Modern Approach to Managing Teams
Management is a fairly young profession. Born out of the industrial revolution, management evolved as workforces swelled from 5-10 people to 50 or even 500. This change brought about a massive shift in society, product production, and how business owners managed their staff. Since the days of assembly lines and physical labor, work has transformed significantly. As highlighted in a recent Wall Street Journal article, the knowledge economy is now dominating our workforce. Unfortunately, management practices have lagged behind. We face a management crisis today; just look at the multitude of books, articles, and apps aimed at struggling managers. Much of this information is theoretical and lacks practical implementation frameworks. In a previous post on Medium, I discussed how the "two pizza rule" can define team size. In this post, I aim to offer a more modern and practical approach to managing people and teams.
Relationships are Built on Trust
Many managers do not fully appreciate the power they wield over their staff. Without your approval and support, your direct reports risk losing the stability of a stable income, a fulfilling career, healthcare, and positive self-worth. Anyone who has been fired can attest to how emotionally overwhelming that experience is. Even those who disliked their jobs can feel a wave of emotion about being terminated.
Your primary motivation as a manager should be to build relationships with your direct reports. This doesn't mean you need to be friends; in fact, maintaining a professional boundary is essential. However, you can still be friendly.
Engage with people as individuals. Talk about their interests outside of work, what inspires them, and what they enjoy. Remember, this isn’t just a one-minute conversation before requesting deliverables. Instead, try taking them out to lunch occasionally, asking thoughtful questions, and most importantly, listening. Organize weekly one-on-ones to strengthen this bond. Retaining details from those conversations will demonstrate that you value their input.
“Communication is what the listener does”
Spending quality time with your direct reports is one of the most powerful things you can do as a leader. Familiarity and development of a relationship will lay the groundwork for the directs to trust you. In most cases, but not all, the trust will also build respect.
The Role of the Manager
Managers should view their work as service to their teams. The dynamics shift when teams serve the needs of the organization and managers serve the needs of their teams. Too many immature managers see their role as merely directing their teams. This can create a relationship based on power rather than collaboration. While this may yield short-term results, it ultimately harms team performance. Managers who earn their team's trust and act as champions will positively influence performance and behavior.
Look for small wins to advocate for individuals or the team. Whether it’s a product they desire, a schedule change, or training, championing their needs will show that you care. This approach fosters an environment where team members feel comfortable raising concerns, knowing they will be heard.
Define Goals
Achievement is a powerful motivator. In the knowledge economy, however, it’s often challenging to identify tangible results. In fields like IT, for example, the daily grind can feel thankless. Defining clear goals can help teams measure achievement and keep engagement high.
Start with simple, achievable goals to gain momentum. For instance, if you need a salesperson to update their funnel weekly, that’s a clear, manageable target. Simple goals allow for gradual increases in expectations.
Metrics Matter
Metrics are essential for effective management. With a dashboard displaying key business numbers, you can quickly identify any potential issues within seconds.
To reach your objectives, it’s crucial to understand the behaviors that lead to the desired outcomes. Goals often serve as lagging indicators, so it's important to focus on leading indicators. For instance, if your goal is to secure $24,000 in new business over six months, you should track your weekly metrics. Key examples include the number of opportunities in the sales funnel, the number of client meetings scheduled each week, your average close ratio, and the average deal size.
Consider another scenario where your aim is to maintain a Service Level Agreement (SLA) of over 90% on support tickets throughout the week. Relevant metrics to monitor would include the average number of tickets opened and closed daily, the ticket load per team member, and the average time spent on each ticket.
Metrics, or Key Performance Indicators (KPIs), serve as your guide for success when implementing changes. Stay informed about your numbers and monitor them daily, weekly, monthly, and yearly to assess the effectiveness of your activities toward achieving your goals.
I have collaborated with numerous organizations to establish KPIs and create dashboards that display real-time metrics in their offices. Managers and team members appreciate this setup, as it provides an instant overview of departmental or business health. Additionally, it keeps staff focused on their priorities. When dashboard metrics fall outside the expected range, they turn red, serving as a visual cue for the responsible party to take action without external prompting. This accelerates response time and fosters a self-directed feedback loop.
Provide Constructive Feedback
Metrics serve as a powerful management tool. When providing feedback, using metrics can transform the conversation from subjective opinions to objective assessments. Without clear metrics to evaluate a staff member’s performance, you might find yourself saying, “I need you to do better.” This vague feedback is unfortunately common, leading to frustration and defensiveness from employees. They might think, “I work really hard—how can I do more? My boss just doesn’t understand.”
Now, let’s approach the situation with specific measurements: “We agreed that you would make 6-8 proactive calls a day, but you’re currently averaging 3. What steps can you take to improve that number?” This approach clarifies expectations and provides a specific target for improvement. Even if the employee feels defensive, there’s a greater opportunity for a constructive discussion about the challenges they face.
Perhaps they need adjustments to their workload or scheduling. Whatever the issue, they will appreciate having a meaningful conversation about actionable changes, rather than simply being told to improve.
Celebrate Success!
When you achieve a milestone, take time to celebrate. Too often, organizations overlook the importance of recognizing wins. You don’t need a major sale to justify a celebration; even small victories deserve acknowledgment. Positive feedback is a powerful motivator in management. A simple thank you or a small gathering can reinforce desired behaviors.
As our economy and work-world continues to evolve in to our future, we will continually be challenged by the rapid change of technology and culture. Companies that make an effort to evolve their management practices will see higher levels of engagement and innovation from their staff. I hope this framework gives you some reflection on your management practices and offers a few ideas on how you could evolve your management framework. Feel free to reach out to me directly for assistance if you feel your company could benefit from an evolved management style.
You can also gain insights by listening to my podcast episode, ERP045 - Management Superheroes w/ Aydin Mirzaee.
