Warren G. Bennis hit the bullseye when he said, “Leaders are people who do the right thing; managers are people who do things right.”
Of course, the two roles overlap but it is largely the managers who are responsible for ensuring that the vision of an organisation is implemented efficiently and successfully. The art of team management is thus vital.
From understanding the importance of delegation to building and motivating the team to putting right practices in place, a manager needs to do a lot of things if his team is to thrive and succeed.
Says Dilip Kumar Srivastava, corporate VP and Global head — HR, HCL Technologies, “Teamwork is something we take very seriously and the challenge of managing our rapidly growing teams and increasing our global footprint has never deterred our focus from teamwork. We believe that through teamwork we can arrive at a diverse and comprehensive mix of solutions to every challenge.”
CEOs across organisations are putting employees at the forefront giving them the power and space needed to execute their ideas. They are initiating several platforms where employees develop their talents, lead from the front, make meaningful contributions to causes close to their hearts, and connect with like-minded individuals.
No doubt, teams are made up of individuals who have different outlooks and abilities. So the allocation of the right kind of work becomes necessary.
“Either way, your responsibility as a manager is to develop all your people. With businesses going global, the art of team management has assumed a lot of importance. Effective communication skill-sets are as essential as upgrading your existing job knowledge and technical skills to succeed as a manager. Stretching and challenging your team members helps them develop and maintain their interests,” says Ravi Saxena, MD, Mumbai International School of Business Bocconi.
Building trust and shared values in a team is another critical area.
“Uncertainty, lack of trust and lack of control are three main barriers to a team’s success. To truly gain the trust of your team, you need to show that you are competent at what you do and that you have the team’s best interests at heart,” adds Pramod Saxena, marketing head of an MNC. At the end of the day, a team is like a cooperative unit and it is necessary for one and all to be involved in deriving the best performance.
