Congrats! You’ve done it. You’ve landed that new manager job or promotion you’ve been eyeing for a while, and now it’s time to start learning to lead your new team.
As scary as it might seem, you are made for this. And RosterElf is here to help. We’ve developed ten tips to help you start on the right foot as management in the hourly workforce in 2021 by developing essential leadership skills.
1. Get to Know Your Employees
Whether you’ve been promoted to manager or are brand new, your first job in your leadership role is to get to know your employees. Spend time with each of your staff to know their strengths, weaknesses, skill set, likes and dislikes. Showing a genuine interest in who they are outside the workplace will help build a solid foundation of trust.
2. Practice Active Listening
One of the essential skills that you can master in management roles is the art of active listening. Instead of just responding, you will listen to understand and then react. By practising active listening, you will create a safe space for your employees to open up with any concerns or stresses they have while in the workplace.
3. Focus on the Big Picture
Now that you’ve started, it’s time to let go of your old role. This means seeing the big picture and focusing on your employees' accomplishments in their day-to-day duties. Try and leave the small things up to your staff and focus on being a leader.
4. You’re a Manager First, and a Friend Second
When building respect, becoming a manager, especially when it’s a promotion, can be challenging. You may have just gone from best friends with your co-workers to their boss. It’s okay to be friends outside of the workplace but try to avoid it while at work as it can create bias and unnecessary drama.
5. Learn How to Deal with Performance Issues
When you step into a manager position, you may realise that there were some performance issues that the senior managers were swept under the rug. If that’s the case, you must learn a consistent and effective way to deal with employees who are not performing to the standard you’d like and help your team's success.
6. Promote Problem Solving
When stepping into people management, you want to make an effort to promote problem-solving for your staff. Use the four magic words, ‘What do you think?’ the next time they have a question to empower them and show them the ultimate sign of respect.
7. Make Yourself Available
Leadership positions in the hourly workforce can be demanding. There are always new fires to put out and new problems to try and handle. By being more engaged and involved with your team members, they will be more motivated to do a good job, creating fewer problems.
8. Schedule 1-On-1 Meetings
Feedback is everything when it comes to keeping up company morale! By booking regular 1-on-1 meetings with your staff, they’ll feel they have a safe space to discuss any issues in their role. And it gives them a vote of confidence when you can provide regular feedback.
9. Build structure and provide guidance
People typically operate better under a clear structure and guidance. Instead of saying it’s everyone’s responsibility (which makes it no one’s duty), it puts staff in a challenging position. Your job is to provide the best structure and guidance possible so your team can do their best work on an ongoing basis.
10. Adapt, Adapt, Adapt
Every one of your staff will complete their tasks slightly differently so you must learn how to adapt your work style to theirs. If your goal is to support your team to perform at their best, you need to understand their needs and adjust your work style.
Manage Your New Team Like a Pro
Remember, you got this! It takes time to find your groove, but with these ten tips, you’ll be able to build a solid foundation and a high-performing team that trusts you.
For all of your rostering and workforce management needs, give RosterElf Rostering Software a try for free today.
