Being a manager often means taking on a ‘jack-of-all-trades’ role. One day you could be recruiting a new hire and the next, you could be leading a team learning session or providing an employee with feedback on their performance. It’s no surprise, then, that an effective manager is often a complex character with a wide range of qualities. Have you ever wondered how to be a good manager? To find out whether you’re up to the task, consider whether you possess the majority of the qualities listed below.
Problem-Solver
A customer calls and is unhappy with the quality of the service they’ve received. Two of your employees continue to butt heads. The team isn’t meeting its KPIs for the month. On a day-to-day basis, a manager is faced with an inordinate amount of problems, questions and stress. Keeping a cool head and being able to think creatively and apply problem-solving strategies is therefore essential, as well as chipping in where necessary.
Confident
Leading others is no easy feat and requires, above all, a large degree of confidence. If you are timid or unsure of yourself, why would someone want to follow you? Being confident will allow a manager to be assertive and better handle conflict. Remember, employees will look to you for guidance around the clock.
Organised
From missed deadlines to demoralised employees and general lack of direction, a disorganised manager can quickly lead to chaos. On the other hand, a manager who is on top of things will likely get the most out of their team, producing results that everyone can be proud of. In addition to this, it’s extremely vital that a manager leads by example – how can you discipline an employee for missing a deadline when you regularly do it yourself?
Fair
Having a strong sense of justice is important for a manager, as biased behaviour and decision-making is a sure-fire way to demotivate employees. In order to be fair, a manager should be mature and also have a high level of empathy, with the ability to see different perspectives. After all, all managers were once employees too.
Enthusiastic
Finally, an effective manager is one who has a great attitude towards their role, workplace and employees. No matter how tough things get or how much overtime they do, this kind of manager is resilient and believes in inspiring others through emotional contagion. The alternative can transform a workplace into one of resentment, gossip and desperation.
So, what makes a good manager? In reality, the answer will likely vary from employee to employee, as they will base their decisions on their own personality and working style. However, the five qualities above are a great foundation on which to build your effective management model and can be applied to a variety of employees and workplaces.
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