7 Ways to Improve Your Management Skills

1. Outline your vision

Obviously, if you don’t have a vision for your company or your team, then it is impossible to lead. So, the first step is to define a clear and concise vision. You should know what you want your company or team to accomplish and what its impact in your industry should be.

2. Clear communication

The best managers master the art of communication and they are able to get their message across in a clear and understandable way. When you define your vision, you should ensure that your team and employees know this. So, don’t be vague about what you want or expect. Also, find ways to motivate your team.

The best managers also realise that communication is a two-way street. So, as well as getting your message over, you also need to create an environment whereby staff can give you feedback. This will help to increase your level of engagement and make your leadership skills more effective.

3. Get personal

Getting personal means getting to know your subordinates on a personal level. In smaller companies, it can be possible for team leaders and managers to have a one-to-one chat with employees. This is an important aspect of developing managerial skills as you also get to know what motivates your staff.

4. Set your priorities

Having a list of priorities is probably one of the most important aspects of being a good leader. However, with so much to manage and deal with, it can seem that the list of important tasks is endless.

Some successful managers use the Eisenhower Matrix system. This divides all your tasks into 4 main categories. To know what your priorities are, this is how to divide them up:

• Urgent and Important – handle these tasks yourself
• Urgent, but not important – delegate these to someone else
• Not urgent, but important – schedule when these should be done
• Not urgent and not important – leave these for a later date

5. Look after your top employees

Having a large employee turnover only hinders the growth of the company. So, one of the important skills for managers is to care for their best employees. First of all, it is necessary to ensure that they are rewarded for their hard work and dedication. But, there are more ways to boost morale among top employees than just offering more money.

For example, you should continue to set challenging tasks for them. New tasks will keep their focus fresh and the new skills they learn will benefit your business. Also, make sure that your top employees are on a clear career path.

6. Admit your mistakes

It would be a mistake to think that the top managers never make mistakes. A true leader will always admit their mistakes and move on. Very often, honest bosses who are humble enough to admit when they got it wrong earn the respect of their staff. In most cases, these situations present themselves with a great learning opportunity for you and for your team.

7. Embrace the power of gratitude

Showing recognition to your staff can be one of the best and easiest skills to learn in management. Employees who feel appreciated are more inclined to perform better and stay at their place of employment. Apart from personal praise or recognition, have a system whereby employees who perform well or who go above what was required are rewarded in some way.