Working as a team is the best way to reach a goal productively in a minimal stipulated time frame.

However, team manager plays the key role of effectively handling the team and bringing the best out of the team members.

Each member of the team might be having a unique working and communication style and bringing all of them on the same table might be more complicated than you think.

Not everyone can be a good leader and he has to be rich with a range of skills which makes a notable impact on the final outcome.

More than just a good attitude, these important skills are to be possessed by a leader for effective team management.

Read More : 11 Software Tools Every Team Manager Needs

1. Effective communication

It is a key stone of proper team management which is needed to create a proper link among the team members.

A good leader has to clearly communicate the short term and long term goals, priorities, gratitude as well as the changing strategies on the right time with the team.

2. Team motivation

There will be ups and downs for every members of a team.

Instead of making complaints about the failure, a true leader should motivate them and enhance their spirit to bounce back and work better the next time.

You can even include success and motivation stories during your team meetings to help them come out of their laziness and contribute their best.

3. Proper vision

Having a proper vision about the goals to achieve matters a lot to be a good team leader.

Meet with the top management once in a while to get the correct understanding of the big picture goals and make a plan to work towards it.

Also assessing the goals on a monthly, quarterly and yearly basis helps to make better strategies.

4. Employee development

Each team member might be at different stages of their career and will be having diverse outlooks and abilities.

It is the role of the team manager to develop them as a team and help them to bring the best out of their abilities for the success of the project.

Once they start to deliver better at what they do, you are marking your first step towards your long term success as a manger.

 5. Think strategically

Strategic planning is important for the successful execution of a project and a good leader should be able to do strategic thinking with changing needs of the project.

Building good strategies as a team and connecting ideas together can help to manage the deadlines of the project and handle tricky situations.

6. Problem solving skills

These are one of the inevitable skills to be possessed by a team leader to meet the deadlines.

Being stuck up with the problem kills time and it affects the smooth flow of the project.

One should be able to handle the problems effectively using critical thinking and negotiation abilities. Identifying problems before they fester is also important for saving time and efforts.

7. Willingness to learn

Be humble enough to consider the opinions of your team members.

Willingness to learn from your team members make them feel more comfortable being in the team and they would be pleased to come up with innovative ideas that can make the results even better.

8. Fairness

To achieve success as a team, each member of the team must be given a considerable working space.

The feeling of being equal and getting the deserved recognition can trigger the spirit of the team to work hard towards the goal.

9. Discipline management

This may not be always related to their work but it is very important for every team member to be disciplined.

Sometimes, the managers even need to play the role of personal groomers where they have to oversee their habits that might affect the project success.

Also making sure that they follow the policies of the company is also important.

10. Trustworthiness

The successful leaders have displayed virtues like honesty, integrity, and respect which is indispensable when it comes to effective team management.

Being trustworthy in fact motivates them to work hard towards their goals as they get a feeling that their work would be noticed and appreciated.

And the team members would be ready to open up about their problems at work and leaders can correct it at the right time for better results.

11. Proper delegation

 Delegating the right task to the right people is a very important.

Analyze the goals to achieve and the total allotted time along with the experience and abilities of your team members to rightly assign the best suitable role for each member.

12. Innovate and inspire

The ability to innovate and inspire is also among the important skill set needed for effective team management.

Always bring in novel ideas to improve the way team works. This can inspire your team to come up with new ways of improving their efficiency.

13. Good organization

Being well organized is another important skill to be possessed by a successful leader.

This not only helps you to save the valuable time but do things in a more systematic fashion and to convey the execution elements such as project timelines in a better way.

Items such as charts; excel sheets and even management software should be among the working tools of a good manager.

14. Time management

 This is one of the foremost skills to be maintained for effective team management as every minute counts during crucial projects.

The manager has to manage his own time as well as properly schedule the available time among team members by keeping the deliverables and constraints in mind.

That is why time management is rated as an art and not just a skill.

15. Respect for others

Mutual respect is an important criterion for the success of a team and the leader should have a look at the same.

Don’t expect the team members to nod their head for all your decisions but accept their disagreement at times and take effort to make joint decisions in tricky situations.

16. Team Orientation

It is not advisable to show the power of a leader but to think like a team member when handling the team.

The team should be the first priority and you should develop a mindset to keep your interests and preferences aside when managing a team.

Don’t ever make an impression that you are superior than your team members. Make sure to work as a team member while indirectly managing the team.

17. Being approachable

It is important for a team manager to be always approachable and available whenever your team needs you.

Even if you might not be physically around always, make necessary alternatives to handle your absence so that the project works smoothly. 

Moreover, openness and approach ability improves the trust and confidence within the team.

18. Confidence

All the members of the team will have a sharp look at the leader and so it is important for the leader to be confident about getting things done.

Confidence simply means to use your strength in the right mix in the path of success.

Be open about your weakness with your team mates to create the personal bond with the them.

19. Good adaptability

Situations will keep on changing during the different phases of a project. It is not advisable to just stick on to the first plan every time.

A good leader should be able to adapt to the change in situations and make changes in the strategy to get things done.

Always be open-minded and optimistic about the new ways of doing things.

20. Lead by example

One of the most important qualities of a good team manager is to lead by deeds than by words.

Rather than imposing the guidelines on the team members, it is better to lead by being an example which inspires them to follow your path.

Being a team manager might look as the role of a credit stealer when the rest of the team does the job.  But in reality it is more challenging role than what one thinks.

You might be a top performer based on your individual performance but being a leader needs a different skill set.

Moreover, making the right combination of team, prioritizing the tasks to be completed and sometimes thinking out of the box is all needed to win as a team.