How to Lead, Manage, Motivate and Supervise Employees Effectively

As a manager, leader or supervisor, a great importance is your ability to lead and manage your subordinates / staff - the people under your purview - effectively. The following tips are meant to help you improve your leadership skills and relationships with your subordinates and get stronger supports from them.

1. Be fair to everyone

Motivate

Treat each of your subordinates / staff fairly and respectfully. Some people are by nature more likeable than others, but as a supervisor, you have to avoid even the slightest hint of favouritism; be fair to everyone. You may have to be flexible in your leadership style for each of your subordinates.

2. Develop everyone

Everyone is unique. Each subordinate has his / her own strengths and weaknesses. So, work on developing the abilities or the potentials of every employee. Don't overlook the need to provide any necessary resources and training needed by the employees to do the job. By doing so, they will perceive that you care for their well-beings. In return, they will be more respectful to you and hence, work better.

3. Know and like your subordinates

Learn the individual strengths and weaknesses of the people you supervise. This will aid you in assigning tasks on the basis of skills rather than at random. It will make them feel good working with you.

4. Show continuing interest in your subordinates

Show continuing interest in your subordinates by providing feedback on their performance regularly - not just at performance evaluation time. Be honest whether they are doing well or bad. This means, giving praise when it deserved - not when it isn't.

5. Criticize with care

Be diplomatic whenever you criticize any aspects of an employee's performance. Never jump to any judgement or conclusion without thinking first the consequences of your critics. So, be tactful to your subordinates at all the time. They will surely appreciate you for being a considerate leader / manager.

6. Be flexible

Be flexible in dealing with employee's concerns. Going strictly by set procedures won't always give you the flexibility you need to resolve individual performance. So, always use your good common sense.

7. Give simple directions

Give simple, but specific job directions at any time you assign a new task to a worker. Make things not so difficult in the eyes of your subordinates even if it is in actuality a challenging task. This will make them feel good and confident doing the job assigned to them.

8. Defend your subordinates

Defend your subordinates against unfair criticisms; be with them. Make them think and feel that your are a reasonable or supportive leader / manager / supervisor.

9. Be a coach - not a general

Remember! You are at work, not at war. So, be loyal to your subordinates as well as to the company / organization / employer. Include subordinates in the decision-making process whenever feasible. You can also show your leadership qualities by working to obtain promotions, pay raises, and awards for deserving employees.

How to Lead, Manage, Motivate and Supervise Employees Effectively

Taidin Suhaimin is Sabah, Malaysia's international speaker and trainer on personal development, leadership & communication. Since 1993, he has conducted seminars, conferences and courses to thousand of individuals from Diplomats to primary schools students from more than 200 organizations in Southeast Asia and the Middle East.