How to Manage a Team

How to manage a team | BCBusiness
Managing a team takes more leadership and finesse than a carrot-and-stick approach.

We turned to the experts for advice on managing a team. Lesson number one: motivation is more than a paycheque.

There may be no I in team, but there is a me, and it can sometimes be challenging to avoid friction when you need individuals to pull together at work. For some expert insight into how to get your team in sync, we talked to Robert Meggy, CEO of Great Little Box Company Ltd.; Pat Watson, vice-president of global human resources at Sierra Wireless Inc.; and Jonathan Willcocks, founder and president of Pinnacle Pursuits Inc., a corporate team-building company.


Start at the first meeting

Building a good team starts at your very first meeting with employees: their job interview. “Before you start anything, you’ve got to have the right people,” says Meggy. “We spend a lot of time on this because we want to get people that fit into our culture.” Watson agrees, but stresses the need to stay flexible when hiring. “You’re not looking for a cookie-cutter fit, but for an additional fit. Someone who may bring another piece of value to the group that you may not already have.” 


Every team needs a leader

All of our experts agree that while in a good team every member feels value, somebody has to be in charge if you want to move forward. Watson recommends setting up a team “so that you can successfully achieve a conclusion; make sure you don’t spin on an issue for a long period of time.” Willcocks adds that while you naturally want a leader that connects with the team, in larger companies their role also demands they walk a fine social line between colleague and leader: “Some people manage those relationships well, and other people don’t.”


Be curious, not controlling

“The number-one thing employees want is appreciation and recognition,” says Meggy, and this often means team members knowing that their voice is being heard. “Teamwork is a generous sport,” Watson suggests, and as a leader “you have to be generous in your listening, in your understanding, so that people feel a part of it.” That’s not always easy, she adds: “You have to separate yourself from the control point of view.”


Money isn’t everything

People work to earn a living, but when you spend almost as much time with your colleagues as with your significant other, teamwork becomes a workplace essential. Willcocks notes that the younger generation of employees in particular are looking for more than just a paycheque from work: “They want flexibility, collaboration, creativity, and they want to be with a company that’s open-minded and willing to be fun.”


Keep remote teams close

Modern businesses are often spread out across different cities, if not countries, and it can be challenging to build and maintain a good rapport when your team rarely gets to see each other face to face. Watson suggests being flexible enough to ensure that remote staff feel equally valued. “Meetings should be as dynamic as your team,” she adds. “You don’t want to always be the one up at 6:30 in the morning, or 9:30 at night.”