Being a manager is a position of enormous responsibility and esteemed privilege. As a member of management, you are accountable for achieving business results with the team you’ve been given—but it is how you do it that defines you as a manager. A great manager welcomes this responsibility and counts it a privilege to lead and develop the employees under them.
Whether you have been in management for years or you are aspiring to this role, there are some fundamental actions that separate the good managers from the great ones:
- Listen and communicate. A great manager is an open communicator, but even more importantly, they a great listener! Employees feel valued when their ideas and input are heard—and this has a strong bearing on employee performance, satisfaction and overall retention.
- Encourage and instruct. Being in a position of leadership does not give someone the right to plow over other people to reach business objectives. Quite the contrary, a great manager will take time to instruct, encourage and spur on their staff. This type of leadership motivates employees to work hard to reach goals and there is greater satisfaction when they do.
- Empower and trust. A great leader does not feel the need to micromanage. He or she understands the importance of delegating and empowering their employees to accomplish business goals—and they trust them to do it! Employees flourish under this type of manager because they are free to learn, make mistakes and excel in their career.
- Develop and promote. A great manager sees the talents, strengths and weaknesses of their staff and seeks to develop them. He or she is not threatened by a rising star, they are excited and strive to help their staff reach their full potential. And, when the time is right, they are quick to promote those individuals.
Do you want to be a great manager? Take these principles to heart and apply them to your workplace. If you do, you’ll see your employees start to flourish and productivity soar!