Every business has managers and other individuals who head their departments and lead teams. These leaders were selected as managers because they demonstrated certain strengths and capabilities, which helped them to stand out from others and made them helpful to the workplace.
Good managers are the key to a successful company. Managers control whether the employees are productive and happy, or whether they decide to leave the company.
It is often said employees don’t leave companies but rather leave bad managers. In fact, according to a survey by Robert Half International Inc., nearly half of workers, 49%, say they quit a job because of a bad boss.
Frequent employee turnover is costly for companies in time, money, productivity and morale. Good management helps keep employees happy in their jobs, so they want to stay.
While it is an important role in the company, being a manager is not an easy job, but companies need to ensure they are hiring good managers and creating a positive work environment. There are some common characteristics all good managers have. This article outlines the skills and qualities good managers need to possess in order to lead their teams to success.
Communication
Good managers possess excellent communication skills – both verbal and written. By communicating effectively, you can ensure your team is on the same page and are working towards the same objective.
Wesley Ward, VP of Marketing for an online kitchen and bath renovator; Hausera claims:
“Communication is more than updating your employees on what is happening in the company. It’s about having an open dialogue with your employees, explaining your decisions and listening to what they have to say. Provide helpful feedback to employees so they can learn and grow in their jobs”.
Problems between managers and employees often arise when employees don’t believe their manager is being honest with them. Honesty and transparency instill a sense of trust in your employees.
Empowerment Not Micromanagement
A good leader empowers and motivates their employees by giving employees the freedom to work and learn on their own. It’s important not to get caught up in unimportant details. Instead, trust your team and provide them with the information and resources they need to succeed without interfering.
Most employees do not respond well to being micromanaged. If you micromanage everything you will risk damaging employee morale and affecting productivity. You will lose control of your employees and add unnecessary stress for both you and your team.
One way to show your trust is to offer your employees the opportunity to work out of the office a few days of the month – giving them the freedom to work from another location.
Acknowledge Good Work
Everyone likes to know their work makes a difference and contributes to the team or company’s success. When employees get recognized for their good performance, they will be more motivated and will keep performing at a high level.
Recognition doesn’t have to be a big gesture. Even a simple conversation or note thanking them for a job well done will hit the mark. Other ways to reward employees include shout-outs during meetings or a small gift (i.e., gift cards, employee parking, free coffee, etc.)
Great Decisionmakers
Pro tip from founder and real estate expert; Sacha Ferrandi:
“Being decisive is an important trait to have to be an effective manager. You trust those individuals to make the right decisions while having the best interest for the business and rely on them to make sure the rest of the team is on track as you focus on other parts of the business”.
As a manager, you not only supervise your employees individually, but you are also responsible for guiding your team in the right direction and making decisions for the benefit of the team and company. Some will be routine while others will be more difficult.
Making tough choices is what defines a good manager. You need to be confident and accountable in the decisions you make. To make informed decisions, you need to be able to pull information from multiple sources and weigh the options
Value Employees
Employees like to feel they are a valuable contributor to the team or company’s success. Show your employees how their contributions have helped the company’s bottom line.
CEO of RFID wristbands manufacturing company; Jeff Arnett states:
“When employees feel valuable and appreciated, they are more likely to enjoy their work more and stay motivated. Employees like to be a part of something great”.
A great example on making employees feel valuable and included in the company’s success is shown below from Arnett’s website. They include a picture of their entire team with a great heading:
Take an interest in your employees and make time to get to know them on a personal level. Show your employees you care about them as a person and not just someone who works for you. Encourage employees to collaborate and work together rather than against each other.
Summary
While there is no such thing as a perfect, manager, there traits all good managers possess. Whether you naturally have it or you learn along the way, everyone has some aspects of good leadership it just depends how you carry and implement these in the workplace. Follow the tips in this article to develop the necessary skills and qualities to be a good manager and you are sure to take the right actions for the success of your team and the business.
About the author: Karina Mojica is a contributor editor for 365 Business Tips. From sunny Los Angeles; California State University Dominguez Hills she made her way back home to beautiful San Diego. She has a degree in Marketing, with experience in PR, and social media marketing.
