Managing a team is not a one-size-fits-all task. Your team members have different skills, experiences and needs and are at different points in their career. You need to manage each person with that in mind. But don’t panic! You don’t need to be a different person to each one and managing will not consume all your time. But it will take some time to get to know your staff and learn what they excel at, where they need some skill building and what management style works best for him.
The best place to start? Ask them. People are usually fairly well attuned to their strengths and weaknesses. They also know what type of management they respond to best. But don’t just take their word for it. Observe how they complete the tasks related to their position, how they interact with other teammates and colleagues, and how they interact with you. Do they miss deadlines or ask for extensions on a regular basis? Do they struggle with a certain component of their role? Do they reach out to you when they need support? Are they “superstars” and do everything well and on time?
If you have more than 2 or 3 people on your team, you likely have a mix of skills. For example, I managed a team of 7 remote staff. Two staff were experienced and extremely capable of performing their jobs very well with little guidance. I gave them the task or reminded them of an upcoming recurring project once and trusted that the work would be done well and on time, and it was. If they needed support they would reach out. I also had a couple of team members who I needed to monitor more closely. They benefited from daily reminders and check ins to stay on track. I had to remind them to reach out if they needed support (it is hard for some people to ask for help). The quality of their work was every bit as good as the staff that I monitored less, they just required a bit more support.
It may sound like I was only really managing the staff that required more support, but that’s not the case. While my teammates who were independent performed their tasks with little guidance, they still needed management. I needed to engage them or run the risk that they would become bored and look for more challenging work elsewhere. This might include giving them special projects to work on, or better yet, helping to train the other staff. I had one teammate who was a wiz with the new database system we were using – admittedly better than I was – so I tapped him when others on the team were struggling with the functions or had questions. He also helped out with onboarding new staff on using the database. He gained training skills, the new staff learned how to navigate the database, and I had more time to devote to other training. Win-win-win!
Of course, new staff will likely need more guidance and support until they are more familiar with the responsibilities of the role and how the team functions. While training is ultimately the manager’s responsibility, your more seasoned staff can be part of training schedule. It’s also beneficial to the new staff as they can have a mentor to ask questions and show them the specifics and best practices of the role.
BONUS TIP: You can effectively manage all staff with one email! This practice may not work in your situation, but I established a daily communication email which I sent to all of my team members. It included a celebration of a deadline we had met or other good news in our region, upcoming tasks and deadlines for the day and week, and a reminder to please reach out to me when they needed support in any area. The format was bullet points so it the information was easy to read and digest. The email helped my staff who needed more support to organize and prioritize their day and was a reminder for my more independent staff. This also prevented any miscommunication and ensured that everyone understood their responsibilities. I requested that each staff member replied to the email to ensure they read it. It encouraged accountability without micromanaging.
Managing numerous staff members can be challenging, but with the proper planning and organization you can meet everyone’s needs. Understand the amount of support and coaching each staff requires, use your stronger team members to assist in training new or lesser skilled staff, and keep all your team accountable. Soon you will all be working together like a well-oiled, seasoned team.
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ABOUT THE AUTHOR: Joanna is a program & operations manager experienced in the human services & educations industries. She has managed teams of up to seven remote staff for mission driven organization in the metro Boston area. Joanna builds trusting relationships that lead to highly productive teams, company-highest customer satisfaction and increased sales. She is a skilled leader, collaborator and communicator. Connect with Joanna on LinkedIn
