Nura Eston August 1, 2021 
Managing employees isn’t always easy, especially when you’re just getting started. What’s the best way to gain skills and improve? Just like anything else, managing employees takes practice. Here are some tips, ideas and quotes from the experts that won’t just help you become a better manager, they’ll also help you build a stronger team and, ultimately, increase your chances of success.
Motivate
The best way to motivate your employees is to lead by example. Stay positive, and always offer encouragement. Set clear expectations, set high standards and always give honest and respectful feedback. After that, you need to trust your employees, don’t micromanage them, and make sure you give them the information, skills and equipment they need to do their jobs well.
My job is not to be easy on people. My job is to take these great people we have and to push them and make them even better. – Steve Jobs
Delegate
As a leader, you can’t do everything yourself, so a big part of successful management is delegating work to your team. Choose the right tasks to delegate – work that’s overly time-consuming or that requires specific skills or training to complete, for example – and choose the right people to do those tasks. Break up the work into separate tasks, prioritize it. Done well, delegation can also help your employees build their skills – think about your employees’ strengths and weaknesses, and look at delegating tasks as a way to build a stronger team overall.
Don’t tell people how to do things, tell them what to do and let them surprise you with their results. – George S. Patton
Set attainable goals
Setting goals is a great way to measure progress, but it’s important to remember that nothing will kill your team’s motivation faster than setting goals that are unrealistic. Use progress towards attainable goals as a reason to check in frequently with your team and make sure they’re on track. Always ask for their input, don’t be afraid to adjust course when needed, and make a point of praising your employees’ efforts. Even if the results don’t meet your expectations, an encouraging atmosphere will help ensure that your staff tries harder to succeed next time.
A goal properly set is halfway reached. – Zig Ziglar
Communicate often
How can you make sure your employees share your vision and are working towards the same goals? Communication is key. Check in regularly with your team and create an environment where feedback – even when it’s critical – is delivered in a way that will lead to positive results. And don’t forget that communication is most effective when it goes both ways: keep the lines of communication open, encourage your employees to be open and honest about any challenges or difficulties they’re facing, and you’ll soon see your business grow as your team gets stronger.
Effective teamwork begins and ends with communication. – Mike Krzyzewski
Empower others
Perhaps the most important important managerial role is helping your employees build their skills. Work with your employees to identify their strengths (and weaknesses!) and encourage them to learn and develop. When your team knows that you trust them to take action and solve problems on their own, you’ll have more time to spend growing your business.
An empowered organization is one in which individuals have the knowledge, skill, desire, and opportunity to personally succeed in a way that leads to collective organizational success. – Stephen Covey
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