Software managers are important to any company. They need to have strong communication skills and be able to juggle many different tasks at once. However, there is a fine line between being effective as a software manager and being bad at it. It’s often easy for any person in this position to cross the line without realizing it but thankfully, with these 6 tricks you can avoid that fate!
-Make sure that you have the right people in place to support your team. If they’re struggling with a task, don’t be afraid to tell them or delegate it out.
-Build an environment where new ideas are encouraged and supported by everyone on the team. This will make employees feel much more valued and motivated which leads to higher quality work overall!
-Try not to micromanage, if there’s something that needs done, let someone else do it instead of getting frustrated when they can’t get everything perfect all at once. It’ll save you lots of time and energy for other important tasks as well so this is one thing worth remembering! As long as employees know what their responsibilities are, then letting them do their thing is a good way to go.
-Give your team the opportunity to grow and learn new skills while also giving them opportunities for progression with different tasks that might not be part of their current responsibilities. This will create an environment where employees feel like they’re constantly learning, which in turn leads to more creativity and innovation!
-Celebrate successes among teammates especially when it’s someone else who has been successful so far but you want them to try something new or take on some other responsibility instead. Obviously this works best if there are clear lines of communication established between all members in order for everyone to follow what needs doing without any confusion whatsoever! And remember: even small wins help keep morale high at work!
-Create a work environment that is inviting and interesting ideally one where employees feel free to make changes at their desk or add things from home. This might mean having the ability to plant plants, adding decorations, or even giving them opportunities for progression with different tasks that might not be part of their current responsibilities. This will create an environment where employees feel like they’re constantly learning, which in turn leads to more creativity and innovation!
-Engage your team by making sure there’s enough time allotted for socializing during lunchtime as well as after hours events outside of the office such as happy hour outings etcetera. If you set aside these types of “team building” activities often enough, it’ll become clear just how much your team members care for each other and work together.
The more you do things that encourage engagement with your employees and create a sense of belonging within your workplace culture–the better. The bottom line is: if people feel like they have something in common with their co-workers then it not only makes them happier but also increases productivity levels as well.
While there might be some added effort involved at first it’s likely worth putting extra time and energy into these sorts of events early on so everyone has fun while getting work done. Research has shown when you invest in making someone happy they’ll usually reciprocate by investing back in themselves which usually benefits the company as well.
Here are some ideas to help you get started:
-Host a ping pong tournament;
-Create an office Olympics or Olympic games within your teams and departments with various competitions like basketball, volleyball, soccer–whatever suits your office best! Have each department compete against one another in friendly competition (or really competitive if that’s how you roll!) for bragging rights;
-Organize team building activities outside of work such as paintballing, zip lining, laser tag etc.
-Hire someone who can do stand up comedy and have everyone participate by telling their funniest joke on stage–and let them hang out afterwards so they become part of the community too. This will also be a great opportunity for your team to get to know each other better outside of meetings.
-Take the pressure off by eliminating traditional performance reviews. These tend to stress people out and make them feel undervalued in their roles. Instead, take time once a year (with ample warning) with all employees on your team to learn about their strengths, weaknesses and provide feedback so they can develop these skills as well;
-Offer incentives like paid days off or prizes that are tailored specifically towards what motivates your company’s staff! For example if you have an office full of gamers, offer prize packages from video game companies or organize gaming tournaments against different teams around the world via Skype). If music is more up your alley, create a Spotify playlist with company-themed songs or offer tickets to upcoming concerts;
-Make your office more social! An open floor plan is the best way to encourage team bonding and collaboration. Hire an interior designer (or use one of these free online tools) to help you find furniture that will fit in–and make your employees happy about coming into work each day;
-Create fun spaces where people can take time out for themselves without feeling guilty. Make sure there are comfortable chairs, couches, games like ping pong or foosball tables so they don’t feel obligated leave their desks just because it’s lunchtime;
-Offer personal benefits outside of monetary allowances. Offer onsite fitness center memberships, discounted healthy food options or even vouchers for massages.
-Offer learning opportunities such as book clubs and speaker series.
-Celebrate people’s successes! Offer bonuses and awards to employees who are self motivated. When you celebrate others’ accomplishments it encourages them to continue doing a great job because they know their hard work will be rewarded in some way;
-Don’t tolerate micromanagement if you’re not one of the managers! Micromanagers can have toxic effects on an office space environment that may extend outside of just your workspace so stand up for yourself when necessary without making waves too big that might disrupt the company culture. If someone tells you what to do all day long, they might not know how to do their job, and should be trained on what the expectations are. They may also need some help with work-life balance– so offer up a time off for them if they’ve been working really hard; -Offer encouragement! Praise employees’ efforts in an email or over coffee as a way of showing that you care about your team’s success. If someone is struggling at the moment, make sure they have resources available to get back on track such as sending out company materials that can assist in overcoming obstacles (like new software updates). -Don’t underestimate people’s weaknesses! Sometimes it takes more than encouraging words to motivate somebody when things are tough: think outside the box.
