Being a manager isn't just a title that an employer passes out for the fun of it to make you feel more important ... it has meaning. To be a manager means to be responsible for a certain subset of a company but even more importantly, to lead a team of support staff to success. If you have assigned staff that report to you then you're just as responsible for their engagement as they are. Ask yourself if you're following a hands-off approach, leaving employees alone unless they really need it. If so, then you could be under managing your staff.

 

Start managing today!

• Make time to meet with all of your staff either every day or every other day. You don't need to have lengthy 30 minute meetings but make sure to provide brief routine follow up lasting 15 minutes or less.

Talk about performance!

• Make it a habit to discuss specific tasks and openly discuss how you felt about their performance. Be honest and provide constructive feedback by providing steps for improvement to allow the employee to grow. Make sure to consistenly provide coaching to keep the employee on the right path for success which will also allow you to stay informed of how they're doing so there's no surprises.

Keep employees accountable for actions!

• When employee's know that their manager will follow up to make sure tasks are being completed properly they'll stay focused and engaged far better than employee's who know manager's won't be checking on them.

Be vocal and not afraid to use your authority!

• Be clear, consice and honest. If employees don't know and understand what is expected of them then how can you expect them to meet or exceed what you expect and have in mind.

The best managers communicate expectations clearly and seek feedback from the employees on how they feel would be the best way to approach their assignments. They make sure to ask, can you get it done by X and what resources and support might you need to complete the task? What's your plan and do you have any concerns or questions?