The modern workspace has changed a lot over the past few years. Offices layouts have changed, timetables have become more flexible, and technology has become so well integrated into business that it feels impossible to imagine the time before the cloud existed.

While the workforce and our job requirements continue to evolve, our job titles stay relatively the same – with the exception of creative job titles that pop up from time to time. My Fav is Chief Happiness Officer! Sure, an account manager in today’s industry has the same responsibilities they had a decade ago. But with the introduction of better technology and smart devices, they fulfill those responsibilities differently than they would’ve in the 2000s. And still, we have the same job titles.

Job Titles Are Just Words

Have you ever looked at your job title and wondered what it really means? After all, it’s not very easy to summarize an entire profession in just a couple of words. Sure, the head of accounting knows that it’s their job to crunch the numbers – but do they understand just how important they are to the company? Without them, clients and team members wouldn’t get paid on time and the entire business would go under.

Job titles don’t properly express the important role that each and every team member plays to a company. From the sales personnel to the receptionist answering the office phone, every single person plays a role that ensures the team’s overall success. And it’s the manager’s job to tell them that. We tend to understand stand how important it is in team sports and is ingrained into the fabric of each and every teammate. It’s the same in business. The sum of the parts makes the whole PERIOD !!!

Excellence Doesn’t Come from a Job Title, It Comes from Good Management

As managers, it’s important to ensure that workplace performance continues on an upward trajectory throughout the year. But in order to achieve this, the workplace environment needs to be a place that promotes teamwork and togetherness. For this reason, it’s essential that management makes sure that every team member knows and understands their responsibilities, as well as the value that they bring to the company.

In fact, good management is one of the most influential forces that drives team members to work harder. But in order for this to happen, there needs to be an open channel of communication between management and the rest of the team. There shouldn’t ever be this invisible (or in some cases, visible) barrier between team members and management. Instead, managers need to work alongside their team in order to boost productivity.

Ultimately, the role of manager shouldn’t be solely to ensure that his or her team is completing their assignments and is there for whatever support is needed to help the flow and execution. A good manager also helps their team members develop over time, so that they become better than they were when they started. And that development can come from a number of different ways, including setting goals, mentoring and offering guidance, and giving people the opportunity to develop their skills through company-sponsored programs.

However you choose to go about managing your team, make sure to let them know that they’re more valuable than just a job title.