As your company continues to grow, you might decide that you can’t do all the work by yourself. After you recruit employees to work for your startup, the next step is learning how to manage the team that you hired.
Managing a team is not an easy undertaking, but it is a necessary measure that will enable you to further grow your business.
To learn how successful startups define the meaning of “the art of managing a team,” we talked with a few founders to learn their tips.
Brooke Stone, President of Brooke Stone Lifestyle Management, advises:
Understand the individuals that make up the team
“It is necessary to consider, understand, nurture, and invest in the team as a whole, but with equal priority, do the same for each member of the team. When you understand the individuals who make up the team, you will have a far deeper understanding of the team’s dynamic and potential.”
According to Jonathan Ofir, Co-Founder of Alcohoot:
Give each person their space
“The most important thing I’ve learned about managing a team, and this goes specifically for small teams just starting up, is that there needs to be strict walls on who does what. When a small team is starting out, it is very common that everyone kind of does everything and anything that needs to be done. I’ve learned that giving each person their space to handle their responsibilities allows for the best workflow.”
Use weekly updates to communicate with your team
“One of the main setbacks of managing a team that I’ve encountered is lack of communication. While it’s important to give each person his or her space and let them work, there also needs to be a high level of communication so that the team, as a whole, knows what progress is being made. Weekly updates really helped us with this issue.”
Pam Allyn, LitWorld Executive Director & Founder, says:
Take the time to listen
“My instinct as a leader is often to begin by trying to solve things. But I’ll take a breath and try to do some deep listening to learn from my team because they have great instincts.”
See every challenge as a learning opportunity
“If there’s ever a challenge, it’s usually because I feel like I’m not providing enough for my team. The great thing about working in collaboration with my team is that we’re all very accepting and supportive. They are patient with me, especially when I need to change my approach to leading or need more support.”
Think about the big picture
“The art of managing a team is about thinking big picture first and then seeing each day as part of that larger story. When I think about the big picture, the everyday work of coaching and cultivating people to do their best feels natural. And it’s fun to do because people really want to work hard and create an impact in the world.”
Casey Gibbons, Co-Founder of Maki Fund, tells us:
Transparency is key
“I’m still learning so much, but I think the biggest thing I’ve learned so far is to have as much transparency and communication as possible. Team problems are not biodegradable, so you have to talk through issues and make sure people feel fully expressed.”
Make sure everyone loves what they do
“I try to make sure everyone is happy and motivated to achieve shared goals. I think this starts with making sure everyone fundamentally loves what they do. This makes achieving things as a team much easier. This means hiring the right people, but it’s also important for managers to care whether or not team members are happy and love what they’re doing.”