Whether you are a floor supervisor or a project manager with direct control over team members, the question of proper management must have crossed your mind. How can you make sure that your employees, coworkers or team members get the attention and guidance they deserve?
The question becomes more important once you realize that their wellbeing and content directly reflects your own standing in the company. Are you a good leader and do you know how to coordinate others effectively? One of the most effective ways in which you can manage, oversee and direct your team in the right direction is through implicit management. This means that your team can operate on a semi-auto mode with you as a supervisor at the help.
But how can you achieve implicit management workflow without disrupting current working conditions and established relationships? Let’s take a look at the important principles of implicit management and how they can help you get productivity under control once again.
- Learn to Delegate
Reaching a state of implicit management starts with letting go of micro-management. While it can be helpful to know what your team members are up to, it’s also important to let them breathe.
One of the most common factors of employee erosion is micromanagement from the managerial branch. People simply like to work on their projects as equal adults without constant supervision. Try delegating more work during your project cycles and ask your members how they would like to split the work up.
That way, you will put a proverbial bug in their ear and let them decide for themselves. You will have already reached a point of implicit management that was previously impossible to image due to constant worrying and monitoring.
- Make it Virtual
A good way to ease the tension between yourself and your team members is to work via virtual platforms. Whether you have a company tool for project management or are using Skype or other form of video chat doesn’t really matter.
Put some distance between yourself and your team when delegating tasks and managing their work. They will feel more independent from your leadership and feel as if they have achieved progress without relying on their team leader. Implicit management is all about building indirect leadership towards your team. A virtual work environment might just be the remedy you need to work more efficiently as a group.
- A Feedback-Oriented Environment
Teach your team members to help each other instead of asking you for help. This move might seem defensive and reclusive to your members at first so be prepared for resistance. However, once they realize that they can function as a group of coworkers instead of members of your team, they will start functioning more independently.
Promote a healthy work environment in which members talk about each other’s work-related issues, help each other out and teach each other how to do things more efficiently. If you find yourself in a purely observatory position at some point, you will have reached the sweet-spot of implicit management as a team leader.
- Coaching and Self-Development
The most valuable lesson of implicit management is to be there when your team members need you. You don’t have to constantly bark orders, ask for reports or schedule check-in meetings. Simply be present when your member has a problem that they want to talk about, personal or professional.
You are the most valuable role-model in your coworker’s eyes – make sure to act accordingly. Chances are that your team members count the days until they are able to identify themselves with you and apply for managerial positions themselves – give them the impression that is worth their effort. Coaching is an essential part of your members’ development. Listen to their problems, shortcomings and work-related bottlenecks.
Once you see the effects of your coaching and the implicit management benefits it created, you will appreciate the few dozen minutes you spent talking to them. The best leaders are often those that put their members’ needs in front of their own – don’t be afraid to do so.
Individualism Bears Leadership (Conclusion)
You may be wondering why implicit management is an important leadership topic worth discussing. Keep in mind that the team members that you inspire today might take your position tomorrow, once you move up the ranks yourself. Individualism in office staff members creates leadership opportunities and raises morale.
Do everything you can to be seen as an inspiring figure both to your team and other coworkers around you. People will quickly take notice of your increased commitment to teamwork and productivity – something that’s more valuable than any results you might achieve through hard leadership.
Preston Felix is a graphic designer, traveler and freelance writer for Rewarded Essays. He is passionate about covering topics on blogging, traveling, business writing and self-improvement.
