Managing teams isn’t always easy. Experienced managers understand that because each person is uniquely different, challenges often arise in moving forward with a number of people working collaboratively. However, the diversity of a team doesn’t have to compromise its single-mindedness of function and general cooperative capability.

Don’t Force It

One good piece of advice as a manager is to resist the urge to set up unnatural situations or activities to try to recognize and promote diversity. Many of these efforts fall flat on their faces when they end up offending someone for some reason, or when managers fail to have the right sensitivity to diverse cultures.

In many cases, a better game plan is to provide an equal working environment for everyone on the team, and make sure that everyone is fully respected, while also promoting a consistency at work that makes people feel they’re being treated fairly.

Empathy and Core Values

One of the biggest things that distinguishes a true leader from a struggling manager is empathy for the people on the team.

You don’t have to force diversity or try to strategize collaboration if you have already built a corporate culture that values people where they are. That doesn’t mean giving people license to act any way they want to because of who they are. What it means is that managers and leaders should try to put themselves in other people’s shoes, and understand what work looks like for those who work beneath them. This simple capability can lead to a much better working environment, less conflict and more discretionary productivity.

Watch the Micromanaging

There is always a tendency to stand over people with a rulebook. But this can be bad for a team, especially one that’s more diverse. People may work in different ways and approach work through their own experiences.

Smart managers find that with less micromanaging, it’s easier to move forward and get things done. Leaders who trust frontline workers to do their jobs correctly can often see the business run a lot better over time — and they’re not overworked as they try to hold everyone’s hand all of the time. Less micromanaging often works out better for everyone, but it can be hard for some managers to let go of old ideas that see micro-managing as the “boss’s responsibility.”

Promote Common Goals

Another good way to handle diversity is to make sure everyone sees what they do have in common. Common goals give everyone the same endpoint to strive for, and foster a sense of inclusiveness and joint responsibility.

Try these essential management techniques to master the job of running a company with diverse teams. Turn to Full Steam Staffing for more on facing the challenges that business leaders see every day as they move a company forward. We’ll keep you advised of what works for our client companies, and what we have seen as a top staffing services provider in the Ontario, California area.