2. A GROUP OF PEOPLE WITH A FULL SET OF
COMPLEMENTARY SKILLS REQUIRED TO
COMPLETE A TASK, JOB, OR PROJECT.
What is Team ?
3. TEAM MANAGEMENT SKILLS
1. Giving constructive feedback—both Positive and
negative.
Why you need it: As employees work through their to-do
lists, heads down on the day-to-day, they may lose track of
the how their work impacts the bigger picture. It’s a
manager’s responsibility to reframe the focus on longer-
term objectives. They should encourage employees to do
more of what they do best while also guiding them to
improve on areas where they might be falling behind.
How to work on it: To deliver constructive feedback that
leads to positive change, make your comments specific and
actionable.
4. 2. Delegating effectively.
Why you need it: Even the best managers can’t do everything
themselves. Delegation is a multiplier. It enables you to expand
your capabilities through your team. Plus delegating doesn’t just
make your life easier, it also lets employees know they have your
trust.
How to work on it: There’s a fine line between delegating and
“bossing people around.” Make sure you avoid that latter by
providing context and stakes for each task, setting clear
expectations, and picking the right employees for the right tasks.
5. 3. Bringing out the best in others.
Why you need it: As a manager, you’re no longer responsible for
only your own work; you’re also responsible for helping a whole
team of direct reports do their best work.
How to work on it:
While it’s easy to assume being the boss means having all the
answers and calling all the shots, many strong managers sit back
and hear employees’ ideas and solutions before jumping in.
Listening conveys trust and gives employees a great deal of
ownership over their work.
6. 4. Communicating with a variety of personality types.
Why you need it: As part of a team, you might be able to avoid
that one person that rubs you the wrong way. As
the manager of a team, you must be able to lead and inspire
everyone. This presents a particular challenge when employees
have personality types their managers don’t typically find
compatible.
How to work on it: Hone your emotional intelligence, especially
your empathy skills. Cultivating empathy will allow you to hear
your direct reports and also put yourself in their shoes. This
helps you come up with the right things to say in any situation.
If you want to practice more empathy, experts recommend.
7. 5. Perceiving and understanding employee work
styles.
Why you need it: Recognizing and taking advantage of how people
like to work will make your team productive—far more productive
than it would be if you blindly enforced a standard set of work
processes.
How to work on it: Pay attention to your employees’ energy levels
and moods. Which tasks make them light up? Which tasks have
them yawning at their desks? Simple observation should reveal
plenty of actionable patterns. If you like the idea of clean
classifications, then check out Deloitte’s research on the four main
business personalities—pioneers, drivers, guardians, and
integrators.
8. 6. Proactively detecting and resolving
problems.
Why you need it: Managers who can search and destroy team
problems before they fester will find themselves overseeing
productive teams.
How to work on it: Host weekly one-on-one meetings with
each of your direct reports so you can hear about any problems
and read clues to detect issues your employees might overlook
or be reluctant to mention.
9. 7. Resolving disputes.
Why you need it: It’s every manager’s worst nightmare: two or more employees
who can’t get anything done because they’re in the midst of an ugly, emotionally
draining fight.
How to work on it: Common sense alone will not help you out of this emotionally
tumultuous issue. Resolving an employee conflict takes the same delicate touch as
repairing an antique clock. Here are some how-tos adapted from Berkeley Human
Resources:
Acknowledge the problem instead of pretending that it doesn’t exist or that it
might go away on its own.
Let the feelings flow. Give everyone a chance to express how the argument makes
them feel.
Pinpoint the actual problem (outside of all the emotions) and the underlying need
driving it.
10. 8. Willingness to learn from the team:
Why you need it: Your employees can teach you a lot if you let
them.
How to work on it: Listen first and make yourself heard later.
Bosses who always push their own ideas and agendas are
frustrating to work with, and their teams miss out on valuable
ideas that might go unspoken; who wants to challenge the boss?
Bosses who evaluate the team’s ideas and step in when
necessary create an environment where the team is always
learning from each other.