Managing a Diverse Team is Hard. Systems Can Help.

What got you here, won’t get you there. Often the skills you excelled at to earn a promotion are not the skills required to succeed in managing a diverse team. Tracking multiple parallel work streams, addressing the unique needs of each team member, and ensuring fair assessment can be overwhelming. Although people are more complex than projects, implementing a few key management systems can significantly simplify and streamline the job of management, resulting in a more efficient and equitable leadership style. Here are a few examples of how systems can help you with managing a diverse team.

Establishing a simple Gantt style program management tracker is one way managers can effectively oversee multiple parallel work streams. This works especially well when your team’s work is cyclical in nature or includes several annual responsibilities. Each employee’s role can be codified by listing responsibilities in rows and mapping out when those responsibilities need to take place over the course of a year. This way, both the team member and manager know what should be happening currently and in the upcoming weeks. This type of tool is even more effective if it includes notes about relevant stakeholders and links to how-to guides and templates. Utilizing project management tools and standardized processes allows managers to track progress, allocate resources, and ensure that all tasks are on track. As a bonus, it makes hiring and onboarding much easier. 

Systems can also enable managers to provide targeted support to team members with different needs. Implementing structured communication channels and feedback mechanisms help managers to understand the unique challenges and uplift the strengths of each team member. An example of this could be a meeting agenda template that includes a spot to note current goals, quickly provide updates, and list questions or roadblocks the team member currently needs help to overcome. This way, check-in time can be optimized for problem solving and coaching rather than recounting a laundry list of things that have been completed or are in the works. It also helps keep goals top of mind so they aren’t simply set then forgotten until the next performance review. This personalized approach ensures that every team member receives the support they need to thrive, fostering a more inclusive and supportive work environment.

Lastly, systems can help managers facilitate fair assessments of team members' work. Implementing standardized performance metrics and evaluation rubrics ensures that all team members are assessed based on the same criteria. This objective approach can provide clarity around performance expectations while reducing biases and ensuring that evaluations are based on merit and performance, promoting a fair and transparent culture.

Ultimately, while being an excellent manager of a diverse team is undoubtedly challenging, systems can provide the necessary tools and structure to manage effectively. By effectively overseeing multiple work streams, providing targeted support, and fairly assessing performance, managers can lead their teams to success with confidence and fairness.