In theory, managing a team is simple. You give direction and, one would hope, your team follows instructions. However, it’s not always as easy as that due to different staff capabilities, remote working, and even part-time staff. Your team are the cogs of your business and if they’re not well-oiled and running smoothly, your business is going to suffer. In this day and age there are a plethora of different tools that you can take advantage of, so check out these team management tools that you need right now.

Time Management Tools

We’ve all been in the position where we have a list as long as our arm to complete in a day, and what seems like nowhere near enough time to complete them. One of the biggest problems that people face is spending too much time on particular tasks, regardless of their priority. Using time management tools helps with all of that, as well as:

• Delegating tasks to the right team members
• Scheduling breaks for yourself and members of staff
• Alerting you to move onto a different task
• Prioritising deadlines
• Working in vacation time into your schedule

If you’ve hired talented, dedicated employees, one of the most impactful management tools available to you is the power to delegate. Running a successful small business depends on the owner’s ability to think about what lies ahead and not get mired down in day-to-day operations. Look for opportunities to pass responsibility for specific tasks to others on your team. That’s what you hired them for, isn’t it? Let time management tools help you with that!

Brainstorming Tools

Creativity can happen at any time, and anywhere, but what happens when you’ve got no way of brainstorming your ideas? If you’re clever, you also welcome ideas from your team that could help further improve the operation you’re running. Did you know that you can get brainstorming tools? MindNode is a fantastic way of crystallizing your thoughts into actionable mind maps. You can read more information here: https://setapp.com/apps/mindnode, but don’t you think it’s worth sharing with your team so that eureka moments happen faster?

Communication

Communication is key in any business and again, the premise seems simple enough, yet how many times have things been miscommunicated in your office? People that work part-time or remotely, perhaps even on the road delivering goods need a way of communicating with the rest of the team and more importantly, you. You should supply your team members with smartphones, tablets and laptops so that communication levels don’t fall. Not only that, using platforms such as Basecamp, Slack, or even Google Hangouts can help you and your team communicate thoroughly.

Another way of boosting communication is by hosting regular team meetings. Here, you can bring up any ongoing issues that need resolving, praise hard work, and give your team the chance to communicate as a unit. You should schedule them depending on the size of your business and the need for your employees to meet.

Mobile Friendly Apps

Remote working is a great way of saving money and giving your staff a little more control over the hours they work, but if they don’t possess the same tools at home as they do in the office, productivity is going to waver. Using mobile-friendly apps such as Google Docs, Slides, and Sheets, your team will be able to work productively from wherever they are in the world. Not only that, sharing their work with yourself and other team members is now easier than ever. Best of all, it’s completely free to use!

Team Building Exercises

Nobody gets along 100% of the time and unfortunately, you can’t expect your team to either. You also need to understand that building trust with colleagues takes time. However, this can hinder productivity and above all else, slow down your turnover. So how can you resolve this issue? Team building exercises! Create tasks for your team to complete alone and as a team to show them that when you work together, things are much easier. Team building doesn’t have to be all boring either. Use fun exercises so that people enjoy themselves and begin bonding with their peers.

When it comes to workplace conflicts, unfortunately, there’s no app or tool to make the problem go away. It’s your job to step in and help resolve the situation with your team.

Regular Training

You may have already trained your staff to do their job, but could they be better? Of course they could! New programs and techniques are coming out all of the time and failure to train your staff means you’re at fault for delayed results. Sign up for newsletters from the programs that are used in your office, look out for new technology, and make sure your team are getting the training they need!

If you’re employing new staff, or plan to in the future, it might be an idea to use a candidate search like the one Hays offer, so that you can list your desired skills and hire someone that’s already up to date with programs and technology!

LinkedIn

LinkedIn is basically the Facebook of the business world and if you and your team aren’t using it – then you should be! It can be used to reach out to professionals in just about any industry to network with other managers, collaborate with gurus, and even hire new team members. As a team leader, this is an essential tool to stay connected and up-to-date on potential talent who could be a future asset to your group.

If you work with brands, it’s also a great way of keeping up to date with their plans as well as sharing yours. Why not create a quid quo pro situation with like-minded business owners? Share their content in the hopes they return the favor! Remember that communicating is key!

As you can see, there are a plethora of different tools that you could use to your advantage! Of course, not every tool is going to work for every business but hopefully, there are tools here that can help you and your team!