Team Management Secrets

Secrets told by experts

Author Name: Ross Slater

When you manage a team, your work is likely to be judged by both your boss and the team members you manage. You are judged based on achieving goals and your success as a manager, both for each individual and for the team as a whole. Therefore, managing teams is a significant challenge, but it is also a highly rewarding career path.

I first became a team manager in the 1970s, and in my early days, I made every mistake imaginable! In the 1980s, I was properly trained in team management and leadership and achieved much greater success. Since then, I've managed formal and informal work teams, teams of volunteers and employees, remote teams, and cross-functional teams.

In the 1990s, I began designing and delivering team management training courses for public and private sector organizations. This gave me insight beyond my direct experience into the pitfalls, opportunities, and capabilities of team management.

This book is a summary of what I've learned over the years about team management. It contains 50 secrets for successful team management that, if followed, will save you and your team from many problems. The secrets are divided into seven chapters, as follows:

Is this a team? You need to make sure you have a team, not just a group of people! This is the foundation of implementing what you want correctly.

Build your team. Teams don't happen by chance. You have to work to build a team. This means understanding everything about teams, not just people.

Lead your team. If you're going to be a team manager, you need to lead its members on a regular, daily basis. You can't just sit back and give directions.

Communicate with your team. Most complaints from team managers relate to communication. It's a two-way street, and you need to get it right to be a successful manager.

Protect and serve your team. You may be the highest-paid person and have a larger office than everyone else, but your job is to protect and serve your team, not the other way around.

Manage team changes. Nothing stays the same for long; teams and business requirements change. Team members look to you to manage and successfully navigate the changes that occur.

Disband your team. When it's time to disband a team, people don't like to leave without saying goodbye. If you manage the disbanding and disbanding process well, future job opportunities will be greater for everyone.

Whether you've been managing teams for a long time or are a new manager, you'll discover that by using these secrets, you'll gain the obedience and approval of your team members much more easily than if you worked without them.