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The 5 golden rules of team management that every manager needs to know

The 5 golden rules of team management that every manager needs to know

By Samantha Mur & Coralie Petit

Published: November 12, 2024

Team management is essential for a good quality of working life, and managing a team strategically is an effective way of achieving corporate objectives.

Managing a team, however, requires the ability to motivate, energize and better communicate with employees, in order to ensure intelligent decision-makingand efficient teamwork.

And... this human resources management can involve management training and more teambuilding, for better team cohesion and management of psychosocial risks.

Definition, examples, best practices... that's all there is to it!

Let's go back to the basics of team management

What are the principles of team management?

Team management is not self-evident, because while it encourages collective intelligence, innovation, productivity and increased performance, among other things, you need to learn how to lead a team in this way, and how to draw up and implement a managerial action plan. ☝️

A good manager must :

  1. mobilize and empower each member of staff, being both manager and coach;
  2. actively lead any project management (in project mode, or team project);
  3. encourage public speaking, essential for team management;
  4. take regular management training to enhance agility;
  5. be an active listener, giving feedback and reporting on meetings;
  6. demonstrate emotional intelligence, assertiveness and controlled authority.
  7. anticipate and manage conflicts, encourage team cohesion;
  8. motivate and involve your team, organize skills development;
  9. manage time effectively, delegate to focus on cross-functional management;
  10. encouraging training for everyone via the CPF (Personal Training Account).

💡 Moreover,diploma courses exist to lead and pilot a team, in order to acquire managerial skills. Also, via the CPF, you can find tailor-made training including e-learning (some are possible in blended learning) or through continuing professional development.

👉 You'll learn the key skills, techniques and methods of team management, including psychosocial risk management, stress management in difficult situations, how to communicate effectively, etc.

Later in this article, we'll give you tips on how to manage a diverse team and be a good manager.

What are the 4 pillars of team cohesion?

Team cohesion is essential for effective collaboration and a harmonious working environment. ☝️

Four fundamental pillars form the framework for this cohesion:

  • communication,
  • trust
  • common goals,
  • and recognition.

#1 Communication

Communication makes it easier to share information and solve problems.

What to do? 👉 Use weekly meetings to discuss each team member's progress, challenges and needs. Encourage the use of communication tools like Slack for daily exchanges.

#2 Trust

Trust strengthens reliability and collaboration.

What to do? 👉 Encourage team-building activities that enable team members to get to know each other better and develop personal relationships outside the strictly professional setting.

#3 Shared objectives

By setting common goals, you align the team's efforts around a shared vision.

What to do? 👉 Use project management tools like Asana or Trello, the aim being to define SMART (Specific, Measurable, Attainable, Realistic, Timely) objectives and track the team's progress.

#4 Recognition

Recognition motivates and values individual and collective contributions.

What to do? 👉 S et up formal recognition programs, such as "employee of the month" or bonuses for achieving objectives, as well as informal thanks at meetings.

The golden rules for managing a high-performance team

How do you coordinate a team? Here are a few tips to help you successfully lead a team through managerial change:

Rule no. 1: Move from vertical to horizontal management

Adopt a visual management approach, because the inevitable annual interview is not enough to get to know a person!

But then, how do you manage your team if you stay in your office? 🤔

To lead a team, you need to be present in the field, taking your place as a coach, and especially since the arrival of Generation Y on the working world. Managing a team implies having an overview of each position to appear credible in your role, especially if you're the new manager of an already established group.

O ur advice: Be there when you take over!

Rule no. 2: Encourage collective intelligence

Encourage the right behaviors in your employees, learn how to involve them, energize them, motivate them, and even reframe them if need be.

You're responsible for leading a team and overseeing its smooth running, so you need to understand how each member of staff works, and demonstrate emotional intelligence.

☝️ By finding out how to mobilize each of them, you'll be able to develop your management style and enable the unit you're managing to achieve its objectives.

Rule 3: Establish a clear organizational structure

Every employee needs to have clearly defined tasks and a precise working method.

In this sense, managing a team requires organizational skills. To implement operational management, it is first necessary to clarify the method and distribution of work. ☝️

Understand how each member of staff organizes his or her work, and talk to the team leader, with a view to coordinating staff through strategic , agile management .

Why not lead a weekly work meeting to establish clear objectives to be met?

Rule 4: Create a new group dynamic

Obviously, management isn't just about managing conflict. 🙅

Find out how to communicate better and give a positive group dynamic!

👉 Leading a team doesn't necessarily require charisma, so put your organizational know-how to work to establish regular team-building! Human relations play an essential part in team cohesion: why not role-play during a meeting?

💡 Proximity management is essential for smooth communication, especially participative management.

Rule no. 5: Support change with the right IT tools

Managers need the right resources to help them manage their teams. An IT solution will enable him to use more agile situational management techniques. You can monitor in real time :

  1. staff performance and productivity ;
  2. financial costs, so you can justify them to management;
  3. a diary for better management and training.

⚒️ Numerous solutions exist on the market, such as online work platforms, which become allies in managing remote or mobile teams. Among the most comprehensive are :

  • Atolia, which facilitates exchanges and organizes teamwork through instant communication, collaborative document editing, shared agendas and project management. This collaborative platform is flexible and secure, simplifying processes and increasing efficiency, while guaranteeing data protection.

  • Monday.com, the versatile, customizable project management software that defines workflows for your teams and centralizes task management for each employee. A calendar and dashboard give you an overview of team schedules, so you know who's available and when. The little extra? A fun, colorful interface that's easy to learn, for fluid, visually pleasing team management!

  • Netframe.co, with its collaborative functions for better teamwork. The online platform organizes work around projects, documents and workgroups. It centralizes and structures information, organizes document sharing and validation circuits, and streamlines communication. Team management becomes more efficient and engaging.

  • SocialJs Project, with functionalities for all stakeholders. Users navigate on a collaborative platform and an intuitive dashboard. Managers have an overview of project progress in real time, enabling them to adjust their management of human and financial resources and increase their agility.

An agile company with a high quality of working life

You now know the fundamentals of management to effectively lead and motivate your team.

👉 Reframing an employee, managing change, leading a team to achieve the objectives of your hierarchy, knowing how to take responsibility for decision-making... these are all managerial skills that will make you a good manager.

And, as you'll understand, becoming a manager isn't easy: you have the right to make mistakes! 🫢

Human resources management is evolving, as are hierarchical interpersonal, inter-company and intra-company relations. New managerial challenges are tending to put quality of working life back at the center of the debate.

Find out more about diploma or certificate courses: management training can enhance your experience and give you greater leadership and responsibility!

Article translated from French