A Simple Yet Effective Guide to Managing a Team

Rachel Cunningham-Day, General Counsel, Markit

There is a wealth of books on management techniques in every bookshop as well as a plethora of academic research into this area. Even if one had the time to trawl through these materials, it can be difficult for an in-house practitioner to see the wood for the trees! Based on my 11 years’ experience as a solicitor in the City of London (which has involved working for and alongside many managers covering a broad spectrum from very good to very bad!), academic thinking in this area gleaned from my recent MBA and my own experience as a manager, I have put together a list of pointers to advise people how to manage effectively and build and retain a motivated team. These pointers cover communication, motivation, retention of staff, building trust, effective recruitment and positive utilisation of the appraisal system. They are equally applicable to legal and non-legal teams and are not limited by size of team. They are designed to be quickly read, easily digested and referred back to on a regular basis. I hope you will find them useful and easy to administer in practice.