7 Team Management Skills Every Manager Needs

Team Management is the method and strategy of getting a group of people to work together effectively so they can achieve a common goal. 

Team management is important in your organization because when teams are managed effectively, there’s better cooperation and cohesion, and goals are achieved more easily. A study from Stanford showed that teams that work well together are 50% more productive.

Importance of team management skills in organizational success

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Team effectiveness 

A well-managed team is more effective and produces results. Proper team management ensures that there’s timely communication, cohesion, motivation, and adequate support for the team. This makes the team productive and positively impacts the performance of the organization.

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Problem solving

Problem solving in a team is simply finding ways to overcome challenges and obstacles encountered while working to achieve set goals. Effective team management makes problem-solving easier because team members can come up with different ideas and viewpoints on how to tackle and solve problems. Collaboration and support also lessen burdens and challenges are overcome more quickly.

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Motivation

Motivation initiates and drives the behaviors that are directed toward achieving set goals. The ability to motivate is a key skill in management and a team managed efficiently is well-motivated and inspired to achieve organizational objectives. 

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Productivity

Team management skills boost the productivity of the organization because when a team works well together, they can achieve the results expected by the organization. Teamwork creates a shared sense of responsibility which increases accountability.

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Collaboration and synergy

Effective team management encourages collaboration in the team. Leaders help to achieve this by setting clear goals, creating effective communication channels for information and feedback, and assigning responsibilities according to strengths and skills. This will ensure that team members work together to achieve the overarching goal.

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Delegation and skill building

Delegation is when leaders entrust tasks to team members. When responsibilities are correctly delegated, it helps to build skills and foster trust in the organization. It also improves job satisfaction among employees. 

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Key components of team management

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Communication: Effective communication plays a big role in the success or otherwise of team management. Communication must be clear and concise, and there should be channels for feedback. Communication facilitates passing across messages such as instructions, informing team members about goals and objectives, and conflict resolution.

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Leadership: Team leadership provides the direction needed for the team to be effective. It is the core of team management and it is responsible for unifying the team, decision-making, training, motivation, and resolving conflict.

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Team Building: Team building is the process of ensuring that people can work together successfully in the team by building trust, and cohesion and through effective communication. Team building requires that members can relate with each other, collaborate, communicate, and maintain focus on their goals and roles in the team.

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Conflict management: In a team, disagreements are inevitable. It is crucial to have strategies to address conflicts so they don’t affect the synergy and productivity of the team. 

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Resource management: Effective resource management directly impacts the quality of results produced by the team. Resources such as finances, tools, technology, and space need to be prudently allocated so that goals can be achieved in a timely fashion.

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People management: People make up teams and they are the most important aspect of team management. Managing people effectively requires an understanding of the skills they need to work on the team, their individual needs, how to keep them motivated and engaged, as well as how to retain and keep them performing at their peak at work.

What are the 4 Cs of Team Management?

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Collaboration

Collaboration is an essential part of a team because the whole essence of having a team is for people to work together. Collaboration improves team efficiency because it allows people to share knowledge, work faster, and produce better results. It reduces work duplication and wastage. It creates room for learning new skills and work methods. Collaboration is now more important than ever, with the rise of hybrid and remote workplaces. Collaboration helps employees feel connected to their workplace and colleagues and it can positively impact employee engagement and retention.

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Effective Communication

Communication is regarded as effective when a transmitted message is acknowledged and feedback is provided. Communication plays an important role in every facet of team and work activities such as information dissemination, providing instructions and guidance, training, performance measurement, recognition, and relationship building. Effective communication improves rapport in the team and helps team members build good relationships. This in turn improves collaborations and reduces conflicts. It also helps team members understand their roles and responsibilities better which leads to greater productivity. 

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Conflict management strategies

Conflict in teams is inevitable, so it’s important to have strategies that will address conflicts when they arise. In managing conflict, acceptable behavior in the team must be defined and underlying issues of the conflict must be addressed. There should also be impartiality to avoid biases, assumptions, and stereotyping when handling conflict. 

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Strategies of conflict management include:

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Collaborating: This is providing a solution that works for all parties by finding a common ground to create a win-win situation for all parties involved.

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Accommodating: Requires cooperation and giving one party what they want while the other party gives up on what they want. This should be a once-in-a-while approach as it could cause bigger problems in the team later on.

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Compromising: This requires conflicting team members to make concessions for one another and agree on a resolution for the greater good.

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Competing: This involves constructive opposition where parties see the conflict as an opportunity to win or prove themselves.

Fostering Creativity

Working in a team helps to bring out creativity because there’s room to come up with different ideas and experiment with them. Creativity can be fostered when team members get the chance to attend brainstorming sessions and explore new ideas. This is why some companies provide spaces where employees can explore their creative abilities in the workplace. Creativity helps to solve problems and can lead to new products for the organization. Creativity also gives the organization a competitive edge and makes teams more resourceful.

How to manage a team effectively

Set clear goals and expectations.

Setting goals is a critical aspect of team management. This is the first step to effectively measuring employee satisfaction. It gives every member an understanding of what is expected of them and provides clarity on the importance of what they do to the organization. Goals provide focus to the team and help to set priorities. 

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Build trust within the team.

For a team to function well, there needs to be trust among members. There are several ways to build trust in the team, including open and honest communication which provides team members with all they need to know, without holding back any information. Authenticity also helps to build trust and it is being open about the successes and challenges of the team. Authenticity provides psychological safety for team members. Other aspects of trust building are consistency, transparency, and follow through promises.

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Encourage accountability

Accountability in a team is when all members hold themselves responsible for the tasks that culminate in the achievement of organizational goals and objectives. Accountability ensures that every team member takes ownership and fulfills their role, which enhances productivity. When team members know they are accountable, they feel empowered to make decisions that are necessary to get the necessary results.

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Provide constructive feedback

Constructive feedback is aimed at helping an individual become more effective by pointing out their strengths, weaknesses, and areas they can improve on. For individuals, it serves as a learning opportunities and promotes growth and professional development. In a team, constructive feedback motivates and helps to build positive relationships.

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Promote a positive work environment.

A positive work environment is critical to productivity, engagement, and retention. It helps individuals and teams thrive. A positive work environment is a place where there is cooperation, trust, equity, and support and is physically conducive, and welcoming. Teams that have a positive work environment are usually more innovative and creative, experience less absenteeism, have better job performance, and are healthier physically and mentally.

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7 skills required for a successful management career

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Leadership skills:

Several skills help in managing people and guiding them towards achieving organizational goals. Leadership skills encompass skills needed to inspire, delegate, and influence, such as communication, interpersonal, problem-solving, and organizing skills. Leadership skills are important and can determine the success or otherwise of an organization. Research has shown that up to 57% of employees quit because of bad bosses.

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Strategic thinking:

Strategic thinking is intentional thinking to analyze all important factors and variables that influence the long-term success of an organization. It helps to define and articulate all areas in which the organization must succeed and make plans accordingly. Strategic thinking focuses on creating a clear plan, prioritizing crucial activities, and measuring performance.

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Emotional intelligence:

Emotional intelligence is the ability to identify and manage emotions and empathize with people in various circumstances. Emotional intelligence improves decision-making by helping to decide the appropriate action to take or the right words to use according to the situation. For example, an emotionally intelligent leader is self-aware, can self-regulate, and possesses social skills that help them relate with others appropriately.

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Time management:

This is the process of planning the use of time in a way that various activities can be carried out so that more results are achieved in less time. Time management involves processes like planning, prioritization, eliminating distractions, and avoiding procrastination.

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Decision making skills:

This helps to determine the best course of action to achieve a goal. Some of the processes involved in decision-making are information gathering, evaluation of available options, and taking time action on what has been decided upon.

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Communication skills:

Communication skills are crucial in the workplace as it helps us to understand other people and situations better. Communication improves workplace relationships, among employees and with the organization. Feedback, which is a form of communication collected through surveys, helps organizational leadership to know how employees are faring at work and how to address raised concerns.

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Problem solving skills:

They help to identify and analyze problems so that solutions can be proffered. Examples of these skills include critical thinking, data analysis skills, and detail orientation. Problem solving skills improve the quality of decisions, help to manage risks, and improve overall efficiency at work.

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Conclusion

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Team management skills are important because they enhance the effectiveness of teams, useful in problem-solving and conflict resolution and they help in improving collaboration and productivity. When teams are managed well, the organization benefits immensely. Good team management produces effective teams with great synergy, high productivity, and enhanced performance. This also positively impacts job satisfaction and employee engagement of individuals on the team. 

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Team management skills must be continuously developed and refined. There are also skills crucial to management roles such as leadership skills, emotional intelligence, and strategic thinking. A good understanding of these skills will help employees prepare for higher roles and responsibilities.