No manual will ever make you the best manager just by reading it. Being an effective manager largely depends on how you can maximize your staff’s potential for the benefit of the company. Here are ways how you can make this happen.

Choose a trainable staff. Being a manager means that you have a say in who gets hired in your department. As much as you’d want to help alleviate unemployment, nothing could control damage like making sure that you hire only those who have the potential. Do not patronize people who cannot excel in the position. The best people to hire are those who are fast learners and the highly trainable ones who can keep up with your pace.

Have clear objectives and make sure your team understands your mission. Make sure your team shares the same priorities in projects and initiatives. Have a calendar of activities which you will impose on everyone to follow so that you’ll all be synchronized.

Evaluate your staff regularly. It is normal to have delays in deadlines and it is OK as long as it doesn’t happen all the time. Do not hesitate to fire an employee who cannot submit the expected deliverables because incompetence will only pull down the rest of the team’s efforts.

Provide feedback to your staff and make time for performance reviews to maintain an open communication regarding job functions, priorities, and maybe even assignment of new responsibilities.

Seek ways on how to improve your managerial skills. Enroll in short courses and seminar-trainings which can help you improve your management skills.

Learn from your staff. Managing a team will teach you a lot of things about coaching, mentoring, and bringing out the best in people with different work attitudes.