Managing a team involves coordinating and guiding a team towards common objectives, ensuring productivity and creating a positive work environment.
Understanding and applying effective team management practices can significantly impact an organisation’s success, making it a critical skill for leaders in any field. Let’s discover more.
What is team management?
Team management is pivotal in business. It involves more than just overseeing tasks; it fosters a collaborative environment where diverse skills are harnessed towards common goals.
Martin Brooker is a keynote speaker, leadership coach and veteran leader with more than 30 years of experience managing teams in the Royal Australian Navy. He offers valuable insights into this concept.
“Ultimately, the success of a business or organisation hinges on its ability to deliver value in products and services,” he says. “When you have an effective team, they enhance service delivery, making it more efficient and customer-focused, ultimately lifting team performance.”
This highlights the impact of team management on both productivity and customer satisfaction. “Focusing on effective teams means people work together to achieve common goals and objectives collaboratively and efficiently,” he says, emphasising the importance of uniting team members’ diverse skill sets.
Effective team management skills transform a group of individuals into a unified, goal-oriented team.
Why is effective team management key to business success?
Effective team management is vital for business success, benefiting both employees and organisations. It can:
- Guide your vision: Team management helps define an organisation’s vision, mission and values. Managers play a pivotal role in aligning team efforts with these overarching goals, ensuring that everyone is working towards a shared purpose.
- Set a strategic direction: Effective managers set the strategic direction and objectives for their teams. They map out the path to success, providing clarity on the team’s goals and the steps needed to achieve them.
- Benefit resource allocation: Managers who allocate resources and responsibilities among team members can optimise the utilisation of skills and talents. This ensures that each member contributes effectively to the team’s objectives.
- Increase communication: Team management facilitates the coordination of activities and decisions within the organisation. Managers serve as the bridge between different departments, ensuring seamless communication and collaboration.
- Improve performance monitoring: Effective managers monitor and evaluate team performance and outcomes. They identify areas of improvement and provide constructive feedback to enhance the team’s efficiency.
- Boost skill development: Managers play a vital role in motivating and developing the skills and abilities of team members. Through coaching, training and mentorship, they empower individuals to reach their full potential.
- Manage conflict in teams: When working in teams, conflicts will always arise. Effective team management includes the skill of managing conflict in teams, ensuring that disputes are resolved constructively, leading to stronger team cohesion.
- Aid in managing remote teams: With the growing trend of remote work, managers need to adapt their skills to effectively manage teams working from diverse locations. This includes using technology for seamless collaboration and maintaining team cohesion.
- Boost efficiency: Effective managers are adept at managing teams effectively. They identify bottlenecks, streamline processes and ensure that resources are used optimally to achieve desired outcomes.
- Enhance team cohesion: Managers who excel in team management create an environment where team members collaborate harmoniously. This cohesion boosts morale, job satisfaction and overall team productivity.
Effective team management is the linchpin that propels businesses towards success. It encompasses a wide array of skills, from setting strategic direction to conflict resolution, all geared towards fostering a positive and productive work environment.
5 team management skills you need to know about
Nobody wants to be known for bad leadership. When it comes to effective management, there are many leadership frameworks and having the right skills can go a long way. Here are some key skills needed when managing teams, according to Brooker:
- Clear goals and objectives. “Effective managers ensure that team members clearly understand the team’s purpose and goals, and the specific tasks they need to accomplish. Well-defined objectives help focus the team’s efforts and align individual contributions.”
- Positive team culture. “Proficient team managers always have an eye on the team culture and ensure it is a positive one where individual contributions are recognised, individuals are included and there is a sense of camaraderie.”
- Strong communication. “Great managers excel in communication, fostering an environment where team members freely express ideas, share information and offer feedback in an open and respectful manner. They maintain consistently open lines of communication and lead by example, promoting collaborative interactions that minimise misunderstandings.”
- Collaborative problem-solving. “The best team managers lead and facilitate collaborative problem-solving. Effective teams encourage brainstorming, creative thinking and sharing ideas to find innovative solutions.”
- Accountability. “Teams will run more smoothly when managers are accountable to themselves and the team members they lead. The modelling of accountability as a behaviour sets an example for team members to take responsibility for their tasks and deliverables. When team members are accountable, work is more likely to be completed on time and to the expected standards.”
How an MBA can empower you in effective team management
An MBA can significantly enhance your ability to manage teams effectively. These esteemed courses provide graduates with a wealth of knowledge and skills. You can cultivate your leadership abilities and gain insights into effective management techniques to develop the skills needed to lead teams with confidence.
Many MBA programs include units that teach you how to foster a positive team culture, set strategic directions and allocate resources efficiently. For example, Flinders University's Master of Business Administration (Social Impact) features the Building Teams and Networks unit. You will learn how to be a team player who can contribute to the building of high-performance teams and networks. This unit also exposes you to different leadership styles for building and nurturing teamwork in the modern era.
The MBA course from Edith Cowan University offers the Managing People and Organisation unit, where you are introduced to the basics of management and different organisational processes in the context of the modern business environment. You will develop the cultural competence needed to manage teams effectively.
One of the units in the University of Technology Sydney's online MBA is Leading People and Change. This unit provides you with an advanced understanding of organisational leadership, allowing you to develop skills in communication, leading and nurturing relationships with others.
Seeking quality education and training, says Brooker, is a crucial step in developing your team management skills.
MBA programs also offer formal training, workshops and valuable resources that provide insights into effective leadership, enabling you to harness the knowledge and skills needed to become a proficient team manager.
The Master of Business Administration (Social Impact) aims to provide current and future leaders and professionals with the fundamental understanding and skills they need to achieve positive social impact. It will enhance the skills of people working (or seeking to work) in the social purpose or for-purpose landscape, including leaders and professionals within not-for-profits, for-purpose commercial organisations, the philanthropic sector, universities or governments.
This course articulates with the 18-unit Graduate Certificate in Business Administration and the 36-unit Graduate Diploma in Business Administration. The sequentially developed topics enable progression through the three awards.
In a globally competitive environment, it is essential to build capability by creating climates and cultures conducive to innovation and advancement. This program provides students with the ability to respond to challenging situations in complex and modern organisations.
It also builds and further develops problem-solving skills, and effective interpersonal and relationship management skills, with a focus on personal and professional development.
This course is designed in collaboration with industry experts, ensuring you will gain contemporary knowledge and practical skills to prepare you for the new world of work. Learn in a collaborative environment with a diverse network of industry professionals and peers, solving real-world business problems that can be applied to your own workplace.
Advance your team management skills today
Mastering team management is critical for any professional aiming to drive success in today’s business environment. With the complexities of modern workplaces, the ability to effectively lead and manage teams has become more important than ever. Not sure what your leadership style is? Take our leadership style quiz to find out.
Whether you’re just stepping into a leadership role or looking to refine your existing team management capabilities, an MBA program will offer a structured pathway to develop these essential skills, blending theoretical knowledge with practical insights. Kickstart your journey to becoming a great leader by exploring various MBA courses from top universities in Australia.