Managing multiple teams is a demanding task. This is especially true now when workplaces have changed permanently due to the COVID-19 pandemic. This major shift to the work-from-home model demands leaders who have the skills and knowledge to maintain close communication with their remote workforce.
They also need to make sure that employees stay productive and focused on reaching set goals while working out of the office.
Fortunately, you don’t have to be a natural-born leader to manage employees successfully, whether you share the same office or you work remotely. Every manager, starting from a newly appointed team leader to an experienced executive will assure you that they’ve developed their leadership skills over the years and that this can be a life-long learning process.
Here you’ll find out what crucial skills you need to perfect to be an efficient, reliable, and trustworthy leader of the future.
1. Seamless Organization
Even though every manager is expected to have highly developed organizational skills, this becomes imperative when it comes to running remote teams. Keeping track of the different projects that your team members are working on while being scattered all over the country or even the world can be stressful and time-consuming.
Luckily for you, there’s an array of advanced technological solutions you can rely on to improve your organizational skills and ensure that everything runs smoothly.
Besides using efficient project management platforms, like Trello, try to involve advanced productivity monitoring software, like Workpuls into your workflow to gain invaluable insights. Namely, this tool will show you the time your employees spend on different projects, pointing out potential roadblocks so that you can address these issues on the spot.
Furthermore, by tracking employees’ activities on a daily basis, you’ll have a chance to see who is struggling with work overload and redistribute specific tasks to those who have more time on their hands.
2. Prominent Decision-Making
As a manager, you’ll be making an array of different decisions every day. Some of these decisions will come to you intuitively, while others will demand your full attention and focus.
When it comes to decisions that can make or break a project or even an entire business, you’ll need to have a wide range of allies on your side to make sure you don’t make a costly mistake. It’s always a good idea to involve other team members in a decision-making process because they might offer a fresh perspective to a problem or situation.
Furthermore, by analyzing information collected via monitoring software, you’ll be able to make well-informed, data-based decisions that will ensure your projects’ success.
3. People-Centered Communication
Keeping open and honest communication with your team members has never been so important as it is now in the remote work era. This may be a tall order for old-fashioned leaders that are used to having the last word in everything. If you want to build a relationship with your team based on trust and mutual respect you need to abandon these old ways and embrace transparency and honesty instead.
Always be open to a different point of view, and listen carefully to employees’ objections, complaints, and suggestions. Only when you show your employees that they’re heard and appreciated will you earn their trust.
Furthermore, these are still troubling times, so make sure that you recognize your employees’ needs and go above and beyond to meet them. By showing empathy and understanding, you’ll become a reliable leader they can turn to for guidance and support.
The global health threat has changed the way we live and work irreversibly. If you want to adapt to these changes quickly and effectively, try working on your organizational, decision-making, and communication skills. And become the leader the altered workplace requires.
