Team management challenges, as we know them, still give nightmares to the managers out there. Knowing how to balance the needs of the team with those of the individual is one of the biggest challenges for a manager, even today.

As a team leader, the key is always to keep these two things in balance. Any manager can hope to lead a team well if they know how to manage teams and are aware of the typical problems that arise when building teams.

Today, this article will share the top 10 challenges managers face and offer some expert tips on how to deal with them. If you’re struggling with managing a team, it’s time to start thinking about the challenges and solutions that await you.

What are the common team management challenges faced by managers?

Managers face a lot of team management challenges on a daily basis. So, managers need to be aware of all the challenges they might face when managing a team and know how to handle them in the right way.

Also, if you are the manager of a team, you should remember that the success of your team rests on how you lead them.

It is a challenge to find the perfect balance between giving your team enough freedom to be creative and, at the same time, making sure they are accountable for their actions. Managing a team is not rocket science, but it’s not easy either.

Here are some of the most common team management challenges you might face as a team leader or manager and some collaborative tips on how to overcome them.

01. Lack of collaboration

Lack of collaboration is a huge obstacle for managers. They have to figure out how to work with people that they might not even like, and that’s not always easy. For instance, they might be working with someone who’s temperamentally different than them, or who they’re not as close to.

If it becomes a regular occurrence, then they might get into the habit of just trying to do their work by themselves instead of facing the challenge head-on.

Lack of collaboration within a team can lead to tonnes of anxiety and stress for team members and managers. When members of a team do not want to share, the team’s ability to execute projects becomes more difficult.

But there are ways to make sure your team is on the same page and fully collaborating.

How can you overcome this?

There are many different causes for a lack of collaboration, but understanding the root cause of your problem will help you fix the real problem instead of just the symptoms. So before you jump to conclusions, take a step back and examine the reasons for the lack of collaboration within your team.

When it comes to effective team collaboration, there is a lack of collaboration that can be overcome with effective communication. A good way to overcome this lack of collaboration is by opening up to your teammates and talking to them about what their skills are.

You can also get to know them on a personal level, which will help you build trust and make the teamwork better.

02. Lack of vision among team members

One of the top ten team management challenges is a lack of vision among team members. This is an especially common problem in startups where the founder or another person has led the company from its inception.

They may have been responsible for most of the work and with little input from anyone else, they had to deal with strategic decisions and day-to-day operations. As the company grows, employees need to understand the company’s goals.

One of the common reasons people take the plunge to start their ousinesses is their idea. Strong visions and an upbeat outlook on how the world can improve are frequently what motivate entrepreneurs.

But your business idea won’t magically turn into a successful venture if you don’t have a team that can turn it into a reality. This is where lots of startups fail. Hiring the right team members has more than just economic benefits. It should also solve the vision problem.

How can you overcome this?

Now the first question that needs to be answered is what lack of vision means. It is important to understand why you are moving forward.

Vision is not just a nice vision of where you are going to be in the future, but also how you are going to get there. In situations where a team has no vision, it is a result of the lack of a leader. A good team manager or leader should be able to set the course of the team.

It is good if each team member can identify where they fit into the team and how they can contribute to the vision of the team. It is also important to look at where the team is going.

This will help the team to identify if they are on the right track. This vision should not be just about the short-term goals but also the long-term goals.

03. Team members not listening to instructions

Sometimes team members just don’t listen to instructions. They make a mess of the plan or don’t bother to complete a task. This is a very common issue and many managers have found that this is the most time-consuming area of management.

But still, you will need to make sure that your employees are following the instructions and rules. One of the ways you can do this is by providing detailed instructions and learning to deal with the occasional setbacks without getting mad or frustrated.

Moreover, it may be more difficult to control people you don’t like, but it’s important to keep an eye on everyone and do what you can to keep them on task.

How can you overcome this?

The first piece of advice for managers is to listen to the employee who is struggling to follow instructions properly. It’s easy to let the meeting go awry when you’re irritated or frustrated by the unmet expectations of an employee.

Secondly, even exceptional employees can’t grow and follow instructions without clear feedback. Often, when an employee is hard to manage, they don’t know where they are falling short. Without clear, actionable feedback, they don’t know which way to go to improve.

Some managers will spend months complaining about poor employees, but until they’re willing to do the work themselves and provide tough feedback respectfully and professionally, it is only themselves that they have to blame for their employee’s failings.

Lastly, keeping documentation of the employee’s bad behavior at the time of its occurrence is wise and essential. Documenting the problems with a team member or employee when they happen is crucial to solving them, or having enough information to solve them.

If you’re able to solve the problem, you can stop worrying and finally put the documentation you’ve been working on back in the drawer. But if you need to take a harsh step of letting someone go without a fight, then you have to have the right documentation of their lackings and behavior to support your decision.

04. Team members lack ownership of their work

Team members lack ownership of their work because they are not collaborating enough or working as a team. Lack of communication can be attributed to this. In many cases, team members are not even aware of the work that their fellow team members are doing.

A sense of isolation can result. The lack of shared knowledge and understanding between team members can lead to confusion over the purpose of various activities, the status of projects or issues at hand, and the need for quick decisions.

How can you overcome this?

The first step is to share your vision and make employees feel like they are part of a larger and more cohesive team. Communicate the purpose of the company to employees early and often, and make sure they can offer input so that they can see the larger picture and be committed to it.

Moreover, a manager may also overcome this issue in the following ways:

• Involving them more in the company planning and goal-setting activities
• Explaining why a certain task needs to be completed and why you have been chosen to get it done
• Letting the team member or person given the responsibility decide how to get the job done
• Delegating them with some leadership roles and not just tasks
• Showing constant and full trust in them to complete the assignment boosts their confidence
• Motivating them to solve their problems
• Holding them accountable for their actions and meeting goals or deadlines to achieve a better result
• Giving constructive feedback on their work every time
• Appreciating their courage for stepping up and rising to the occasion on the spot

05. Lack of motivation among team members

Another very common team management challenge is a lack of motivation. When employees lose interest in their work, they are not as productive as they should be. This can lead to mistakes and incomplete projects. A lot of employees are unmotivated in their jobs.

It can be hard to identify the cause, but it often boils down to personal issues from stress at home to feelings of isolation at work. Teams with low morale can produce less high-quality output which is also tied to poorer productivity and an increase in absenteeism.

How can you overcome this?

As a manager, there are various strategies you can use to maintain the motivation of your team. Managers have to know what causes employees to lose interest in their work.

How do you motivate your team? – Explain to them what exactly the goal is and what they are supposed to do to get there. Tell them what their job is for the day and see that they are getting it done right. – Encourage team members to reach out when they have any concerns or problems.

Also Read: Best Productivity Hacks To Motivate Your Team Better

06. The team is not aligned with company goals and processes

Every manager should know about the importance of making sure that the team is aligned with goals and processes for seamless implementation. This way, the team will be more effective and efficient.

However, one of the very common challenges to team management is when the team is not aligned with goals and processes. When this happens, it can lead to low morale, lack of engagement, and lack of productivity. The manager must figure out what is causing this and address the problem.

One of the most common causes is that team members are not clear on what they are trying to achieve and why. They may be feeling overwhelmed by the size of the challenge or confused about how to tackle it. Other times, the problem may be leadership style (in which case the manager will need to address this).

How can you overcome this?

Team alignment is a process that begins with forming the right team and ends with everyone on the team working together to achieve company goals. It’s a continuous process that leaders must continually manage.

Be clear on what the team is trying to achieve before focusing on how to do it. If the team wants to get a project done faster, they need to understand what actions are required to get the job done.

More essentially a manager can resolve this challenge in the following ways.

• Plan and execute your strategy by creating specific goals that align with your organization’s strategy.
• Provide feedback to employees consistently and transparently.
• Align roles with individual, team & organizational goals.
• Identify the gaps between strategy and performance

07. Not communicating enough with the team members

Coordination of tasks and workflow is a central part of being an effective manager. Communication is necessary for this coordination to occur. One key challenge for managers is that it can be difficult to know how much to communicate with team members.

There needs to be a balance between giving everyone enough information to stay on the same page and giving them too much information that may not be useful.

The most effective teams communicate regularly. However, some teams may have one-time, or yearly meetings, while other teams may have morning meetings, lunch meetings, and more. A great team will make sure that everyone is getting the information they need to do their job.

The communication gap is a real issue within modern teams, so it is important to be aware of some of the core issues here and to have a variety of methods at our disposal.

The first point to remember here is that there may be a variety of reasons why a team member is not communicating effectively. The first step here is to find out what kind of communication problem it is, and what needs to be done to resolve the issue.

How can you overcome this?

A strong personal skillset makes you able to effectively communicate with others in your office, which makes you better at working with your team. Lack of good communication skills also affects how you interact with customers and can damage your business.

So not communicating enough can never bring positive results for any business. Here are some effective tactics you may follow to encourage team members to communicate more & better.

• Make arrangements for regular team huddles at the beginning or end of every shift
• Treat each team member as a team player
• Try to address the problem instead of blaming the person responsible for it
• Let every team member know each other on a personal level
• Assess intrapersonal relationships among team members those who are causing a problem always
• Introduce a mentorship program to encourage communication among old and new team members
• Try to find a common ground for communication when you have a culturally diverse team
• Use high-quality conference phones that help your company reach a new level of communication

08. Conflict among team members

Team members can become involved in a conflict with each other, which is a significant challenge to overcome as a manager. At a minimum, such conflict is stressful. At its worst, it can undermine the team’s performance and damage the reputation of the organization.

The conflict could stem from anything from different personalities to different ways of working, and it is important to have strategies in place to help diffuse the situation.

The conflict can be caused by a variety of factors: including different expectations, Different personalities, Individual differences in communication, Different time-management skills, and different interaction styles. Two team members may have very different ideas about how the work should be done.

In some cases, these differences may not be critical to the success of the project. They can be handled by discussion and compromise. However, sometimes they may cause important delays or result in poorly designed products that do not meet customer needs.

How can you overcome this?

Bring the conflict to management. You can do this by bringing it to management or the HR department. If you bring it to management, the next step is to report the problem to the manager so that he or she can take it in hand and try to resolve the issue.

There are numerous other ways to resolve this. One suggestion that has worked is to hold team meetings outside of work hours, where everyone can relax and be more open with one another. This also helps your team members develop a better understanding of one another and the value they bring to the team.

Other steps to resolving the conflict include:

1. Communicate: The first thing to do is communicate with the other person directly about their concerns. You must be open and honest about your intentions and have a dialogue so they understand what you are trying to achieve.

2. Defuse: The next step is to defuse the situation and diffuse the conflict. This usually involves coming up with a plan to resolve the issue. Take a few minutes away from the meeting so that you have time to think things through.

Related: Handle Bad Behaviour & Manage Conflict Among Team Members

09. Not Being proactive when it comes to hiring

If you’re not proactive about hiring, it will be an uphill battle to make up for your lack of employees. You need the right employees to help you reach your goals and do so promptly. You’re going to have to recruit qualified candidates, interview them, and then offer them a job to entice them to come on board.

It’s not enough to just want them and say you want them. But the question I’m going to ask myself is: do I have to make sure I’ve done my homework on what it takes to get those candidates, what they’re looking for, and then put all the pieces together to attract that employee?

How can you overcome this?

So how do you know who to hire or how to keep your team’s spirits up in the face of team management challenges? There are as many answers to these questions as there are successes in the business world.

But if you’re looking for a few tips on how to achieve success through a proactive hiring strategy in business, then here are some most common steps that an HR department needs to take to make it big.

Do your homework on the professionals. It is important to note that a good business plan can only get you so far. This is especially true when it comes to hiring professionals in the business world. For instance, if you want to recruit and hire financial advisors, then you need to do your homework first.

In this case, the HR team should start by planning who they need to hire and setting the parameters for the job. They would then write a job description that includes a list of duties, qualifications, and requirements for the position.

Next, they would create a plan to contact potential candidates, including appropriate interview questions for the position. If they were going to post the position online, they would make sure to have a strong, catchy headline.

They would also tailor their resume and cover letter to the specific company. This is how you can follow the proactive hiring strategy to get the right candidate.

10. Not being able to get your team to work as a team

A team will not work as a team unless they are all on the same page. Team members have to be committed to making decisions together, sharing resources, and supporting each other.

They also need to know their role within the team to execute their duties and responsibilities. One of the most important things for a team to do is to assign and delegate tasks.

Moreover, the leader should assign tasks with careful and clear instructions and delegate them to the rest of the team, with a very clear and simple purpose. If the purpose is not clear to the person who receives the task, they will get confused and that can cause a great deal of frustration.

The order of the tasks should be followed so that everything is completed promptly. The elements of the task must also be stated clearly to avoid any confusion. Write it down If you have given the task verbally, you should write it down as soon as possible.

How can you overcome this?

One of the effective ways you can make your team work together is by boosting employee morale. A positive work environment can often help to boost the morale of an organization. This is why it’s so important that managers take an active role in building relationships with their employees.

Moreover, the manager should ensure that they are following proper delegation protocol. They should discuss who is responsible for what and make sure that they are getting their jobs done.

This will help the team be productive. It will keep morale up and will help them complete their work faster. Another way to create teamwork in a team is to assign and delegate tasks with care.

Also read: Improve Team Productivity with the Best Project Collaboration Software

Get more out of your team with the right team management approach

Time and time again, managers face the same problem of their team members not pulling their weight. Everyone just needs a little extra motivation to perform well. The key is to find the right management approach for your team members.

It’s easy to forget that the manager is a team member first. The best managers know how to empower themselves and their team. Managing a team can be great, but it can also be tough.

You will have to keep everyone motivated and focused on the task. You will have to listen to every one of them and make sure that they are always safe. And you will have to convince them to support you.

It’s no secret anymore that managing a team is one of the most challenging aspects of being in a leadership role. While there are many team management challenges you will face, you can overcome them with the right tools as well.

One of the most powerful solutions for this is WP Project Manager. Whether you are managing a single project or multiple ones, this tool will help you manage your team’s tasks and responsibilities more efficiently than ever.

So there you have it, a few of the team management challenges managers face and how to overcome them. We hope you’re able to take away some helpful tips from this blog post.

Moreover, we hope this post has given you a few new ideas on how you can manage your team better. If you want to manage your team with powerful project management software, then you may want to give WP Project Manager a shot.