ASK TOP MANAGEMENT EXPERTS: BEST HINTS AND TIPS FOR BUSINESS LEADERS IN 2024 AND 2025

Call it a hunch – top management experts anticipate that 2024 and 2025 will present new obstacles and opportunities for managers to lead their teams effectively. That being the case, we thought we’d offer a closer look at guidance that pros will offer managers in the coming years:

Coach and Develop Your Team

Rather than simply directing tasks, management experts emphasize that successful managers will need to actively coach and mentor direct reports. With job churn still high and employees demanding more career development, managers should provide regular feedback, meet team members where they are, and help them unlock their strengths. Consultants will also push execs to curate training resources and guide team members as they navigate change.

Communicate and Listen Openly

Management experts will stress transparent and compassionate communication. As remote and hybrid work persist, managers need to communicate goals, support employees’ well-being, and foster connections through presence and active listening. Conveying empathy, celebrating wins, and addressing concerns openly builds trust and engagement. Pros urge managers to survey team members and create psychologically safe spaces for honest dialogue and healthy debate.

Embrace Flexibility and Work-Life Balance

It’s also important to embrace flexibility in when, where and how work gets done. Rather than micromanaging face time or imposing one-size-fits-all policies, management experts and futurist consultants will push managers to collaborate with team members on schedules and resources that allow them to produce great work while supporting their life priorities. Accommodating employees’ needs boosts engagement and talent retention.

Model Innovation and Growth Mindset

To inspire innovation, advisors further exhort managers to demonstrate curiosity, critical thinking and comfort with uncertainty. Rather than sticking to status quo processes, managers should consistently look for ways to improve systems and solve problems. By modeling disciplined experimentation and analyzing failures for insights, managers can cultivate an agile, growth-oriented team culture, say top management experts.

In 2024 and 2025, advisors will likely stress that successfully guiding teams through ongoing turbulence requires focusing on people as much as processes. Managers who coach effectively, communicate with care, offer flexibility and model innovation will engage and retain top talent. And that’s just the tip of the iceberg, management experts note, given the changes ahead…