Becoming the manager of a team is an incredibly important and difficult job, as the three most important aspects of making that team develop and function are difficult to build and easy to lose.

The latter concept, known as “losing the dressing room” in professional sports, is when the respect, support and trust of the manager by the players in the team is lost. Often this is seen as a point of no return where the manager is expected to either step down or be made to step down.

Most workplaces are nowhere near as emotive as a sports team, but the same issues can happen when a manager is not felt to be working with the team in mind. This usually leads to reciprocal behaviour and a recipe for disaster.

Thankfully, there are ways to get a team to buy into your management style and even if you make a mistake that costs you their trust, it is possible to get it back. Here are a few tips to get your team back on side.

Learn As Well As Teach

One of the most important tools of the modern manager is reverse mentoring, where a junior member of a team teaches a senior member. In this case, it is all about learning from your team.

This is useful not only because you get a range of insights and perspectives, but the very process of being willing to listen and engage with new and fresh viewpoints shows you have bought into the team as much as they need to in you.

Focus On What Works, Not What Is Standard

An overreliance on overly formal, structured forms of communication and leadership can lead to a loss of engagement, and certain managerial standards are unsuitable for every team.See what works, and engage with your team to find solutions to what does not. Maybe a weekly hour-long update meeting is not the best approach.

Recognise The Positives

Players are at their best when they feel like their efforts are being recognised and validated, and that is true in nearly every field.

Whilst providing corrective feedback can be necessary to ensure the work is completed, make sure that excellence is similarly celebrated and encourage members of the team to celebrate each other’s excellence.