What Makes a Great Manager?

Being a manager is hard and being a great manager is even harder. To be a good manager you need to be able to understand your role within the team and as the manager, as well as understand each role that your team has.

Sometimes being a great manager takes lots of trial and error. You need to figure out what methods your team responds well to and then adjust from there.

When you’re a successful manager the position will feel rewarding but also a bit exhausting.

Whether you’re looking for ways to improve at your job or just landed a new manager position keep reading for our tips about what makes a great manager.

Good Communication

The key to being a great manager starts with good communication. We do it every single day but how do we know that we are doing it well? Your communication skills can really make or break your team.

First of all, ask for open and honest feedback. Letting your team or employees know that you’re approachable and ready to hear all of the positives or negatives of the job is a good place to start with communication. If your team knows that you’re open for feedback, then they won’t hesitate if a problem were ever to arise.

Another way to have good communication skills is to get to know your team and see how they like to communicate. As a manager, you will have to give feedback to your employees so you should figure out the best way to do that. Most of the time having a closed-door meeting is the best way to discuss something that is going wrong.

Take the time to sit down and discuss with your employees the best ways they like to communicate. Some employees may like a meeting once every week or month to discuss how they’re doing. Other employees may even like an email letting them know what can be improved.

Creating the best possible way for you and your team to communicate will really help the dynamic in your workplace. Make sure you’re also helping your team to communicate with each other. You can do this by setting an example and getting to know your employees.

Focus on Growth

A great manager is focused on seeing their team succeed individually and collectively. This tip goes hand and hand with communication. Get to know your team and see where their strengths and weakness are.

If one team member is working on a part of the project but you feel that they could work better on another, then talk with them and see how they would feel about taking on a new role. Your job as a manager is to get your team to the finish line and you should want to do that in the best way possible.

When you’re a manager you will also need to figure out the best ways that you can grow as well. Management consulting is a great way to get advice and feedback about how you’re doing as a manager and then grow from it. The value of management consulting is different for everyone and it can be a huge help in your role as a manager.

Make the Difficult Decisions

When it comes to being a manager you will have to make some tough decisions that not everyone is going to like. Your best bet is to try and get as much input about a decision from your team but utlimately it is up to you.

When it comes to making these decisions you need to be confident about them even if you have to fake it. Make sure you’re able to explain the reason behind each decision you make especially if they’re controversial. As a manager, you won’t be able to please everyone but your decisions need to be beneficial.

Don’t Micromanage

Micromanaging is one of the worst things you can do as a manager. Your team will feel like they’re always being watched and that the work their doing isn’t good enough. As a manager, sometimes you need to sit back and let your team do their thing.

There are plenty of ways you can be a great manager without micromanaging. First, you should realize that your team was hired based on their own skills and abilities to complete the tasks. Most hiring processes are rigorous and finding the best candidate for the job so you shouldn’t have to worry. You need to put trust into your team that they can get the job done.

Sometimes you may have to jump in and help the team out but wait until it is necessary for you to do so. This goes back to developing good communication skills with your employees. If you have open communication within your workplace, then they should be willing and able to come to you when they need help.

Lead By Example

One of the best ways to be a great manager is to lead your team by example. Don’t be afraid to get in there and help whenever you’re needed. If you lead by example, then your team will follow you and help each other out.

As a manager, you will set rules that you expect your team to follow and you need to make sure that you’re doing the same. You can’t expect people to do something that you wouldn’t even do so make sure you’re playing by your own rules.

Leading by example is the most effective way to get people to follow you. As a manager, you set the tone for your work environment so make sure it is a good one.