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How To Earn Respect As A Manager

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StrategyDriven Management and Leadership Article |Earn respect as a manager|How To Earn Respect As A ManagerEverybody has had a ‘bad manager’ at some point and the effects of poor management are well understood. It can be demoralizing, and demotivating and create a workplace that nobody wants to be in. It is why, when it is your turn to step up to the plate and take on the coveted role of manager you want to do it differently. You want to earn the respect of your peers and subordinates to foster a happy and healthy working environment. For some management comes naturally for others, a few pointers in the right direction can help make all of the difference. So whether you are looking to climb the ranks to CEO of the biggest international tech company or being the boss of your own local rain gutters and drainage start-up, here are some great tips to be a manager worthy of respect.

Always be honest

You are taught to be honest from an early age so why should the world of business be any different. Keeping secrets from employees will leave them feeling undervalued, uninvolved, and uneasy about the workplace. As much as you can you should always endeavor to be open and honest with your team. Address concerns and queries they have as frankly and openly as possible. This is the best way to create a relationship built on trust and respect.

Easy on the micromanaging

A really great boss can relinquish control. You have a team with a job to do and the best thing you can do is to let them do their jobs. Trying to take over and micromanage their work will result in their irritation, frustration, and feeling demoralized and demotivated once again. The more responsibility and accountability you can give your employees the more they will thrive and engage in their working environment, which will pay dividends for both you and them.


Always say ‘thank you’

Many studies have proven that staff will respond well to and thrive off of appreciation for their work. Recognizing the work undertaken by staff and the efforts they make in their role will go a long way. Rewards and recognition come in many forms and of course, all employees would like a financial incentive or reward however there are plenty of times where a simple ‘thank you’ and ‘job well done; will suffice.

Give feedback

While you may roll your eyes at a performance review they actually serve a great purpose. Employees enjoy the opportunity to have candid discussions with management regarding their performance and future within the company. Your employees will want to know about the progress they make and when they are doing well, or not as the case may be, so do not shy away from handing out feedback and offering up regular performance reviews.

Accept feedback

Feedback is a two-street and there will be times when your team is invited to or will choose to offer up feedback on your role as manager. A good manager will listen to this feedback, take it onboard, and enact any changes or improvements should they be required.

Team Building Tips for Entrepreneurs

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StrategyDriven Managing Your People Article |Team Building Tips|Team Building Tips for EntrepreneursBoost your brand’s bottom line, boost your productivity and bring your business to another level.

Championship teams cite playing together as the key to success. The same is true in business. Successful brands have high-performing teams working cohesively together to achieve their company’s goal.

The big question is, ‘how can I bring a winning team together?’ Winning teams don’t just happen when you bring in qualified employees. Instead, they are built together through team building activities.

The activities involved are designed to bring out individual skills and characters and make them work in a cohesive manner. As a result, the team will be able to work efficiently and harmoniously with each other.

Are you ready to bring your business to another level of success? Here are some essential team building tips for every entrepreneur.

1. Value each team member

Success in business or any other industry doesn’t come because of your strength as a leader. In fact, each and every team member played an important part in generating success. Without their individual ability, you cannot grow as an organization.

This is why recognizing each team member’s contribution is essential for sustained success. Praising them both in public and in private will do wonders for your organization. You have to let your team know that you appreciate their hard work.

It will also help if you put team members in leadership roles. This will empower them to find or create solutions autonomously. It will also free you from being the one to give guidance whenever a problem occurs.

In addition, virtual team building activities are a good way to know your team members. Since most of us work at home because of the pandemic, these activities will help you understand your team’s individual cares, concerns, even their dreams and aspirations.

2. Maximize their skills

There’s no team member that’s exactly alike in terms of skills. Each member possesses different skill sets and personalities. As the leader, it’s your responsibility to determine how to pair each member that their skills would eventually compliment each other.

One person’s strength can abate the other person’s weakness. This is the best way to reduce the deficiencies of the team’s overall performance. Effective leaders understand each member’s strength and place them in a position where they can succeed. With that being said, you as the leader need to develop emotional intelligence. This is the best way to effectively communicate with a wide variety of personalities within your team.

The key is to develop a good relationship with every team member. This will help them open up with you which will help you identify how you can help them succeed and do their tasks in the highest quality possible.

3. Support and protect your team

Effective leaders are protective of their team. That’s because they understand that each member of the team is helping their business succeed. Great leaders treat their employees like family.

They make sure they know their hard work and the sacrifices they make. From there, they see to it that every member is well taken care of. With this combination, every team member understands that they’re standing on a good ground where they can succeed and be their best.

As the leader, you are the authority figure. That doesn’t mean you have to be egotistic. Instead, you must give them the guidance and lead them to succeed. Always provide a path to the right direction. Your team would eventually realize this and replicate your effort through increased productivity.

4. Avoid micromanaging

Micromanaging suffocates your team’s performance. This managing style will scare your team to make mistakes. Eventually, your team will become complacent and will never step up to their fullest potential.

Remember, the only way for your team to succeed is to let them handle the work in autonomy. However, this should also be coupled with responsibility and accountability. This often requires you as their leader to back off and let them handle the task according to their abilities.

While this can be a tough decision to make because you will put your business on the line. However, when you put constant pressure to your team it will have negative effects which will eventually affect your business.

As the leader, you should learn to relieve control and allow your team to do their work to their utmost potential. This is often surprising when you realize that your employees can manage the tasks without the need for you to be constantly looking over them.

5. Develop clear communication

Don’t expect your team to read your mind. Clear and open communication is the key to prevent resentment and frustration. As the leader, you need to be clear and blunt with your team that they know exactly what you expect them to do.

Clear communication will lead your team to produce the kind of results that you need. This will ensure the success of your team instead of letting them operate in the dark.

6. Appreciate them

Your team drives your business’ success. That means, you never take them for granted. Always give them the appreciation they deserve. Also, learn to acknowledge their contribution and their results.

Studies show that people tend to work harder and boost their productivity when they’re appreciated. This often leads to higher motivation which will push them to aim for a higher level of success under your leadership.

The 6 Biggest Time Wasters in Every Business: What’s Holding You Back From Reaching Success?

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StrategyDriven Managing Your Business Article |Biggest Time Wasters|The 6 Biggest Time Wasters in Every Business: What's Holding You Back From Reaching Success?Entrepreneurs have to make every moment count if they hope to succeed in the world of business. Building a new company from the ground up can be exciting, but it also frequently proves to be an all-consuming task.

Waste even a bit too much time while leading a young company and crucial duties can end up being neglected. Find ways of addressing the following six common issues and you will have more time to focus on the business-related details that matter the most.

1. Bookkeeping and Accounting

Every business needs to maintain accurate books and have access to informative accounting reports and insightful analysis. Unfortunately, many small-business owners end up wasting time trying to stay on top of related duties that they are not well-equipped to handle.

Accounting Firms are inevitably better-positioned than entrepreneurs to take charge of these all-important financial activities. Because they are much more efficient than part-timers, professional bookkeepers and accountants tend to offer highly cost-effective services.

Not needing to worry about issues like payroll, accounts payable, and tax preparation will allow a business owner to adopt a more commanding, supportive style of leadership. Even when hiring full-time accounting help cannot be justified, on-demand assistance is always available.

2. Email

Hundreds of billions of emails are sent every day, but many of them have relatively little to say. Many a modern entrepreneur starts each working day by spending an hour or even more filtering through a packed inbox.

While there will always some emails that need to be read carefully, thought about, and acknowledged, these tend to be fairly rare. Small-business owners who learn to quickly assess whether given messages merit much attention will free up time for more important activities.

3. Overly Demanding Customers

Many entrepreneurs subscribe, at least superficially, to the idea that the “customer is always right.” A focus on customer satisfaction, in fact, is a valuable asset for almost every kind of business.

Some customers, though, are simply too demanding and unreasonable to be worth devoting time to at all. Entrepreneurs who learn to identify and deal with difficult customers effectively will spare themselves many headaches in addition to saving time.

4. Micromanagement

Hiring a first employee or even adding to a growing team is often a sign that a business is on the right track. Becoming an effective, efficient manager, though, does not always come naturally to entrepreneurs.

One problem many small-business owners face is a compelling need to exert too much control. Try to specify and direct employees’ activities too precisely and time will inevitably be wasted.

In fact, workers who struggle under the burden of micromanagement tend to be less productive, creating a twofold cost. Entrepreneurs who learn to give their employees some breathing room will have more time to spare and become better leaders, as well.

5. Vendor Churn

It always takes time and effort to find a new supplier or other type of partner. Become too quick to switch to a new vendor at the slightest sign of trouble and the wasted time will add up. Business owners should never feel that their vendors are holding them hostage, but accepting an occasional, honest mistake is normally the best policy.

6. Meetings

Some large companies have become infamous for making unproductive meetings central parts of the workweek. Unfortunately, even a fair number of relatively small businesses fall into this trap, often with ostensibly good intentions. Meetings can be useful but should always be designed to repay the investment of time required to hold them.

A Proven Way to Build a More Successful Business

Many small companies end up being held back because of time being wasted by the owner. Avoid the six especially common time-wasters above and you will have a better chance of leading your own business to success.