Any manager should strive to empower their employees so that they can reach their full potential as it is an essential component of their job. It's also important to remember how difficult management can be since it involves interacting with a wide range of people, each with their own set of motivations, goals, and behaviors. This means that there is no one-size-fits-all solution for team management.

There is no one-size-fits-all strategy to team management, but there are three effective strategies that managers can employ to support their employees, encourage productivity, and help them reach their full potential.

1. Making effective use of authority

Managers who can use their authority positively (for example, by stating their expectation that their employees meet high standards) can help a team reach its full potential. While abusing authority can have a negative impact on performance.

This phenomenon is also known as the "Pygmalion effect" or the "power of expectations."

The Pygmalion effect investigates managers' expectations of their employees and how those expectations are communicated to them (consciously or unconsciously). They will then behave in accordance with the managerial expectations they have absorbed from their manager, whether consciously or unconsciously.

By ensuring that team members are aware of and understand the expectations, managers can use their position of authority to motivate better performance from their team members.

Experienced employees may occasionally become "complacent," meaning they are doing a good job and are at ease, but they are not pushing themselves to do more. In this situation, raising the bar for those employees will motivate them to improve, aid in their professional advancement, and be better for the team's performance as a whole.

2. Solid interpersonal skills

When managing a group of people, effective communication is crucial.

Ineffective team communication can lead to a variety of issues, such as a general lack of team productivity and efficiency, resentment, or lack of trust in the manager's ability to guide the team.

Effective management of the team and the team's ability to perform to its full potential depend on effective communication.

Always be sure to communicate in a way that is direct, succinct, and sincere. To allay employee concerns that certain information is being withheld from them, ensure that important information from higher up is delivered promptly and to the entire team at once.

The team members can discuss anything that's on their minds at these regular one-on-one meetings, which are also a good way to maintain continuous and open communication. Furthermore, this is an excellent opportunity to let them know how much you value their contributions to the company.

Listening is, of course, a crucial component of communication. Encourage group discussions in which all participants can actively engage. Always entice questions and discussion during one-on-one meetings, and allow time for it after presentations.

3. Honor the effort

The value and necessity of their praise and feedback for their team members is often underestimated by managers. It's best to be sure to recognize everyone's accomplishments (proportionally). This will encourage them to work harder and push themselves further in the future, as well as help them feel more confident and uplifted.

Not only are efforts lauded, but also the results that were obtained. The work and effort put into any project, no matter how much effort was put into it, should always be recognized and commended, even if the project ultimately didn't produce the desired results.

Praise-giving should not only take place in one-on-one interactions; it can and should also occur in group settings, such as team meetings, where more people can hear it. The opportunity to excel in front of coworkers will be appreciated by employees. This will not only give them a sense of pride in their work and confidence, but it will also make sure you don't come off as being threatened by other high-performers.

Bonus: Personal and team growth

You should keep an eye out for opportunities for your team members to advance in the workplace when those arise or encourage people to join a project that will benefit from their experience and knowledge as part of your encouragement and ability to see their potential. Additionally, by doing this, they will be able to better showcase their skills and advance to the next stage of their careers. Make sure your team is aware of the company's advancement opportunities and inform them of what they can do to get there.

Progress is a crucial and even necessary component of any organization or person. Make sure you and your team have access to pertinent and useful training and development opportunities if you want to advance. To determine what training meets the needs of the individual and the business, conduct a performance gap analysis with your team.

Additionally, as a manager, you must continually improve your management techniques and demeanor. You will gain the skills you need through training to support the growth and success of your team as well as yourself.