Earning the respect of your entire team is not an easy thing. Even if you’re designation has the word ‘manager’ included in it, there will be people in your team that will always question your authority which is especially bothersome for all people who are new to performing their managerial duties.
If you want to be respected as a manager, you will have to learn how to communicate with your team effectively. This is the first step you have to take towards team building. Moreover, communicating with your team effectively will make the members of your team respect you as a leader, and will encourage them to follow your direction. Here are three ways that can enhance your team building skills.
1 – More Statements & Fewer Questions
When you try too hard the become a manager who should be taken seriously, then you end up phrasing your instructions like questions. For instance, “Dave, can you make the minutes of the meeting we have at 3:00 pm today?” These questions may look like direct orders, but they actually invite a lot of excuses. The best way to go about it is to be direct; “Dave, I need you to make the minutes of the meeting.” This asserts your authority and leaves no room for any pushback from an employee.
2 – Maintain Confidence
To impose authority you have to talk confidently. Sometimes it so happens that the beginning of your statement starts off just fine, but by the end of it your voice drops, making the last few words nothing more than a mumble. This ruins your impression. You need to maintain your confidence from the very beginning of your sentence till the very end of it.
3 – Clear Directions, Not Suggestions
As a manager, you often have to maintain a line between being strict and being relatable. This often results in your directions coming across more as an opinion instead of clear instruction. For instance, you might say, “Jeffrey, it’d be nice if you could consult somebody in human resource for this training program.” This implies that Jeffrey has an option and he can choose to consult if he wishes to. Once again, be direct; “Jeffrey, I need you to talk to someone in human resource to arrange for this training program.”
Communicating with your team with authority doesn’t always come to everyone naturally. You have to work on it, especially if you’re new in a managerial position. Another thing that helps is a change of environment. If you want your team to invest their minds into what you’re saying then think about arranging meetings at an offsite meeting space. For that, contact Blue Ocean Facilities. Our meeting venues will offer the change that your team wants. Offsite meeting spaces are not only conducive to team building; the idea also helps you conduct a result-oriented meeting as well.
