Being a manager is not easy, you are seemingly caught in the middle between needing to perform in ways that satisfy your higher-ups while also leading and engaging your direct reports. It is important to remember though, that this is not an impossible feat.
Management is evolutionary and understanding that sometimes, no two days will ever look the same, is important. There are several strategies you can employ to set your team up for success that still honors the obligations you have to your own role and the expectations that come from above your head.
Provide the Right Tools
You cannot expect great things out of your staff if you do not give them the tools they will need to achieve them. For managers that work in roles that have many departments, and tons of moving parts, like logistics, for example, this is especially important since so much of the overall business success is a series of things all hinged on one another.
Logistics companies that deal with goods that are sensitive in nature are ones that especially need their teams to be on point.
If your business' products need to receive special lighting, need refrigeration monitoring, or protection from the elements, your team simply cannot do that if you do not invest in the software they need to be able to monitor this equipment.
You can utilize reefer monitoring solutions for cost-effective control, monitoring, and compliance for refrigerated assets. Seeing you advocate for their needs, with your bosses, will assure your staff that you are on their side and support their needs just as much as you expect results.
Encourage Positive Attitudes
If your team members do not feel encouraged to create and contribute to an environment of positivity, then morale can plummet quickly. As a manager, it is a part of your job to foster a teamwork environment that feels inclusive, supportive, and productive.
The functions of attitude reach beyond simply the various moods that people can be in from day today. One way that you can achieve this is by making it a habit to extend praise to your team on a regular basis.
Managers that wait until after a big project is completed or only offer positive feedback at annual reviews subconsciously program their employees to feel unvalued, which can lead to job dissatisfaction.
Having a positive attitude, yourself is also an obvious but often overlooked element of successful team management. Everyone has bad days and is entitled to do so, however, if your team members see that these bad days are more of the rule than the exception, they are not going to feel comfortable or encouraged to focus on their own positivity.
Keep Competition Under Control
Professional competition in the workplace is common and, in some ways, unavoidable. However, there is a healthy way to include competition in the workplace and an unhealthy way too. Try your best not to pit team members against one another.
Even if there are circumstances where they might both be up for the same promotion, for example, transparency is going to be your best friend in terms of ensuring that everyone can still work together and be respectful at all times.
If you do find your employees in a situation where someone who was once a team member has now been promoted to more of a leadership role, you need to recognize that this can be a sticky transition. Having an open-door policy and letting everyone know that growing pains are normal and to be expected to help to ease tensions and eliminate any potential animosity being built up between co-workers.
Promote Balance
Burnout is so real. Once someone has reached a point of burnout, they have already shouldered so much that they have likely been internalizing that the results can be dramatic. Encourage your team to find a work-life balance that makes sense for them, and still keeps them accountable to their jobs. Even if you are not in charge of things like how many PTO days they are allowed to take, do not set a tone that makes a staff member feel that they cannot take a day off for fear of consequence.
Another way to promote balance is to get to know who your employees are outside of work. There will always be a line of professionalism that you must adhere to, but instead of simply asking everyone on Monday a standard question of 'how was your weekend' ask intentional questions that are specific to each person.
Even if you do not yet know someone's exact likes and dislikes, something as simple as 'I am craving pizza for lunch where are your favorite spots in town has a specificity to it that can make your employee feel like you are truly engaging with them and not just having obligatory discourse
