3 Things Every Manager Should Know About Their Team

A manager is not just a person who tells their staff what needs to be done and when.

This individual is a leader that managers a team of people; as such, it is imperative that they know certain information about them.

Below are three things every single boss needs to know about those reporting to them.

Their Past Experience

When managing people, knowing their professional history can provide the boss with certain advantages.

There are situations where individuals switch careers or decide to take on less demanding jobs for a better work/ life balance.

These individuals can have untapped potential to offer more to the company than their current role.

For example, an employee who was a senior in their group may have left to raise a family, and decided to come back a decade later.

She may have had no choice but to apply for a lower position, but that doesn’t erase the skills she gained in that senior role!

Utilising people’s skills and what they have learned in the past is key to putting their potential to good use, benefiting both the company and them.

Their Future Aspirations

A leader’s role is not simply to get the work done, but to be a mentor to the people on their team.

It is just is as much to advance the company’s goals as the individuals working for you.

It is advised for managers to have regular meetings with their staff  so they can understand their aspirations and help them get there.

An intern may hope to get a full time position, while a junior will likely want to move up to a senior role.

Don’t just take your employees for granted and tell yourself that they are happy where they are.

Instead, get to know their goals and help them achieve them with advice and challenging assignments that will have them beef up their CV.

Their Home Life

Although not all employees want to share personal details about their lives with their bosses, a manager should have a basic idea about a person’s home life.

This information will help you to become a more empathetic and caring boss.

If you know that your worker is expecting a baby, for example, you can provide them with leeway if they come in later or seem more tired.

If you are privy to knowing that another colleague is dealing with a death in the family, you will know what to attribute their sadness to.

The more you know about your staffers’ lives, the better you can manage them.

Thanks again

Mark Williams

Senior Management Trainer and Consultant

MTD Training