How To Be A Good Manager

Management is a process that involves bringing art, science, and craft together with the aid of a manager. A manager is a person that has been put in place to manage the activities of a group of people or a department.

A manager is responsible for the success and downfall of an organization. A manager’s role can be simplified into four basic management functions: planning, organizing, leading, and controlling. 

Who is a Good Manager?

A good manager is able to communicate effectively with employees, understand their perceptions as well as their capacities ,thereby assigning roles to fit each persons abilities with the achievement of organization goals in mind.

A good manager might not be perfect but he is effective. A good manager is a person that understands the fact that maximum goal realization is best achieved by workers satisfaction.

A good manager sets a positive example and knows how to use their strengths to encourage their team to succeed. Successful managers work alongside their employees, coach team members, and create an inclusive work environment. It is not just about being a manager, it is about being a good manager.

We often hear people say” I really miss working for him, he is the best boss I have ever worked with”. This leaves you wondering how that person was able to work perfectly with other people.

If you are currently working on being a better manager or you are just resuming a managerial position and you want to know what it takes to achieve the best in your new job role, this article is for you.

There is often the reason why a manager might fail in his responsibilities for example, 
✓ The manager might be too cold and insensitive
✓ if a manager is incompetent enough to hold that position
✓ laziness 
✓ micromanaging the workers allows them not to function well
✓ dishonesty as well as various other reasons 

What makes a Good Manager?

To be able to perfectly function in any position there are certain skills that you must possess and so there are certain socio-personal skills a manager must also possess. 

1. Great communication skills

It’s one thing for managers to know what needs to be done. It’s a whole different thing for them to be able to clearly communicate those priorities to each member of their team—all of whom are responsible for different tasks.

Excellent communication skills are yet one of the many socio-personal skills a good manager must possess. You must ensure you do not encounter problems understanding or communicating with your subordinate. You must be a super-persuasive, charismatic people-person that doesn’t hide the truth behind a facade of politeness.

2. You must be emphatic

 A good empathic manager understands the emotions of their team members. As much as you have the achievements of organizational goals in mind you must remember you are working with humans, not robots. You should understand how team members are feeling, by doing this you would be further endearing them to you.

There have been various cases whereby some employees would not be able to explain personal issues to their manager because they know that he/she would not even try emphasizing with them, meanwhile emotional and psychological instability equals physical ineffectiveness.

Being empathic towards employees equips good managers to form personal bonds with employees and foster long-term relationships with them. But note that some people might want to take this for granted and so you still have to be firm to avoid people’s laxity and ineffectiveness among them. 

3. A good manager know how to delegate tasks well

Once you have formed a bond with your team members and you are able to communicate effectively with them, delegating tasks based on abilities becomes easier because you would understand each person.

Also, good managers and leaders don’t try to do all the work by themselves. Micromanaging your team is bad, you should give them the autonomy to do their own work and have the room to be creative.

You need to delegate tasks so that you show your employees you trust them and their ability to get positive results. This is a great way to motivate your workforce. A good manager delegates based on the abilities of each worker.

4. You must be  responsible and accountable

You must understand that you are responsible for your decisions. Although you might be getting workers’ inputs, do not let their opinions inform you to make wrong or unethical decisions.

An excellent manager must be able to take decisions on his or her own and, most importantly, must be capable of bearing the responsibility for those choices, be they good or bad. You should learn to stop complaining, stop blaming others and own up to your mistakes because as much as you might be a good manager or leader you are not perfect.

5. Honesty

Honesty is an attribute that seems very scarce among managers today. However, it is one of the key qualities when considering how to be a good manager.  Your team needs to grow and improve, and the only way you can make that possible is if you’re honest with them all the time. Make it a point to tell your employees what they need to hear, not just what they want to hear.

If your staff did a good job but could have done better, tell them. Employees love to know that their manager is being truthful and fair. The trait of honesty and fairness is important in how to be a good manager.

Also, be truthful to your superiors if you have any, it tells them they have not made the wrong choice putting you there, and along the way it creates cordiality.

6. Emotional intelligence

A manager can never perform perfectly if he/she is not emotionally intelligent. A good manager has to know when to be compassionate and when to be strict and firm.

Emotional intelligence can make all the difference between an engaged employee and one who is burned out, frustrated, and unmotivated. You need to pick up on signs that an employee is pushing themselves too far, which can cause burnout, anxiety, depression, and disengagement.

More often than not, good managers will pick up on signs of these conditions in advance, before the employee approaches them to discuss the situation. 

Asides from social and personal skills a manager must also possess managerial skills. The role a manager plays requires that he possesses these skills irrespective of the sector he belongs to

TOP 4 MANAGERIAL SKILLS

You might be wondering, what are managerial skills?

Management skills are skills a manager needs to be able to perform certain tasks. The top 54managerial skills are:

• Technical Skill.
• Conceptual Skill.
• Interpersonal and Communication Skills.
• Diagnostic and Analytical Skills.

Technical skills(technical know-how) 

These are skills that give you the ability and the knowledge to use  to achieve organisational objectives. These skills not only involve operating machines and software, production tools, and pieces of equipment but also the skills needed to boost sales, design different types of products and services, and market the services and the products.

For instance;

•  Big data analysis(algorithm,data analysis,calculating e.t.c)
•  Coding and programming(Computing,Design,HTML,Implementation,Information Technology e.t.c)
• Project management (Benchmarking,Budget Planning,Performance Review,Quality Assurance,Quality Control,Scheduling,Task Management)
• Technical writing(Client Relations,Email,Requirements Gathering,Research,Subject Matter Experts,Technical Documentation) as well as several other technical skills

Conceptual skills

As a manner conceptual skills are not just necessary but mandatory . No matter what industry your company operates in, it will face challenges that require innovative and creative ways of thinking.

Whether you are a bank manager or even a small business manager you need these skills. In times of unexpected situations, conceptual skills are the most beneficial to the organization.

Being a conceptual leader you can think through your ideas, transforming thoughts into action-driven solutions.

There are various types of conceptual skills, examples are Decision-making skills: This includes;

• Problem-solving
• leadership, reasoning.
• Intuition,
• teamwork,
• emotional intelligence,
• creativity.
• Ablility to ignore extraneous information.
• Broad thinking.
• Critical thinking.
• Breaking down a project into manageable pieces.
• Executing solutions.
• Formulating effective courses of action.

Interpersonal and communication skills

Communication refers to the entire process and practice of exchanging ideas, information, and even emotional experiences that can be shared between people.

Interpersonal skills are the skills we use every day when we communicate and interact with other people, both individually and in groups. Our socio personal skills fall under this category, Examples are collaborating and working well together with others;

• Empathy
• Clear communication skills
• Conflict management and resolution skills
• Constructive feedback (ways people can improve)
• Diplomacy (handling affairs without hostility)
• Flexibility in thinking and operating style
• Humor and lightheartedness

Diagnostic and analytic skills

The Miriam Webster dictionary defines the word diagnostic as any tool or technique used to find the root of a problem. Therefore, diagnostic skills refer to the timely ability to visualize the perfect response to a situation.

Analytical skill means the ability to identify, analyze and resolve the key variables in a situation. Possessing diagnostic skills and Analytical skills helps you to identify possible approaches to a situation. These skills are acquired through formal training, practice, and experimentation.

Of course just as Vince Lombardi said “Leaders are made, they are not born  They are made by hard effort”. Vince Lombardi . You are probably Wondering how to develop these managerial Skills or better improve them

Fifteen steps to start taking today to become the good manager

1. Get personal

Ensure to try as much as possible to bond with your workers, find out what your team members want, see if it aligns with what you have and incorporate both ideas. Workers like to know that their opinions matter no matter how little it is.

2. Create a strong communication chain:

Well, the secret to great communication is to communicate well and often. Create an avenue whereby your employees can share common goals and work with you to meet them. This boosts their engagement and energy. Your workers are important so make then feel important. Ask your team questions and invite them to do the same. This allows you to evaluate if they are confused and if you need to review how the information is transmitted.

3. Trust

It is definitely advisable to be aware of what is going on in the team, but you must refrain from imposing power. If you resort to micromanaging, chances are that you will be under a lot of stress and it will transfer to your team members as well. Trust your team members to do the work allotted and give them space. Understand that each individual has a different pace and a different take on tasks. Intervene in their work process only if it is absolutely necessary.

4. Communicate a clear company vision

Ensure that they understand that organizational objectives must not be compromised. Remind them regularly what they are working to achieve.

5. Keep learning

If you have free time in the evenings, grab a book related to management and how to be a good manager. Management books offer tips and strategies to working with people and succeeding in the business world. Research about more ways you can support your team. Look at other people’s managerial styles and how they were able to ACHIEVE the company’s goal.

6. Attend trainings, seminar and workshops:

if you are not yet in management, attending management-focused workshops or conferences is a great way to dip your feet in the water. Infact attending seminar or meetings where like-minded people discuss their experiences you develop faster.

7.Create a fun environment:

Look at most successful companies in the world for instance,Google and Facebook? They make work a fun place. I’m sure, like me, you would like to know what it feels like to work for Facebook and Google. They seem to have so much fun.When you enjoy working for the company and/or the people you work with, you are most likely to stay.

8. Challenge your workers

Keep your workers on their feets. Keep pushing. employees are successful because they always like to do more by pushing themselves. But be careful not to pressurize them.

9.Creativity/innovation

Be more creative and innovative. Also welcome creative ideas among employees.Schedule Regular Meetings to keep track of all their activities.

10.Appropriate expression

As a manager, you will be required to interact with senior managers and the leadership team. However, when dealing with professionals at a higher position, it is important to know how to express yourself. Ensure that your posture, language, tone and body language are not defensive or rude,that is how to be a good manager.

11.Strengthen Decision-Making and Avoid Micromanagement

Also learn to admit mistakes and proffer solutions.

12. Offer the Right Incentives to top performers

Incentives serve as motivators. When you reward top players with certain rewards for their outstanding performances, it has a way of encouraging them.

13. Carve Out Time for Reflection

Beyond regular check-ins, set a consistent cadence for reflecting on and reviewing your team’s work.

14. Review the steps and it’s effectiveness.

The true measure of the value of any business leader and manager is performance.” – Brian Tracy.

15. Take good care of yourself as well as create time for your loved ones.

Some managers are too focused on achieving the best at work that they forget to take care of themselves or their loved ones. You are human too. A truly good manager can balance his personal life and work perfectly.

Here’s what you stand to benefit in being a good manager:

• Realization of personal and organizational goals
• You will easily identify weak performance and support and strengthen performance.
• It goes down the history line that you were an accomplished good manager. You even get amazing feedback from people around you. Who knows, the words going around about you might help you later on if you think of establishing your own organization
• You earn more. 

Note that you lose all these if you refuse to work towards being a good manager.

Bottom Line

A good manager is a truthful empathetic emotionally and physically competent technical being. He develops himself and also allows his workers’ opportunities to grow. He might not be perfect but he takes responsibility for his decisions.

Along the line do not forget to reward and encourage excellent performers, learn more and review management style”.Management is, above all, a practice where art, science, and craft meet” – Henry Mintzberg.

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