What makes a good manager
Effective management can have a huge impact on how successful a team is. While having a good business strategy is often crucial, a good manager will be able to guide their team through all of the steps required to achieve the right goals. What’s more, they are able to spot any potential issues as they arise, dealing with them in a reasonable and effective way. Below, we’ll explore some traits of a good manager, and how to develop them further.
Adaptable
It’s likely that the needs of your business and its team will change over time. Your goals and strategies might be evolving as your business grows or undergoes any other major transformation. An effective manager is often able to move with these shifts. They can do this via learning new skills, perhaps alongside their team. If you’re looking to create a digital transformation, a manager might look to gain the right training themselves so that they can pass that knowledge onto everyone else in the team.
An adaptable manager also likely knows which management styles to use case-by-case. That’s because some management styles are more appropriate than others when it comes to dealing with certain situations. Some teams might benefit from a collaborative style where everyone gets a say in how decisions are made. This might be the case if your team is knowledgeable and has a lot of time or resources to reach a goal. If you’re running out of time on a project, however, and nobody can decide on the right strategy, a good manager might turn to a top-down approach where they convince employees to follow their decisions.
Supportive of individuals within the team
Managers who are able to support their staff on an individual level – not just their team as a whole – can have a positive influence on morale and engagement. Focusing on what motivates your employees professionally and personally can help you guide their career development. By having regular one-on-one meetings, you’ll also be able to learn about their strengths and weaknesses. Supportive managers might also listen to employees who have difficulties outside of work. They could work with them in order to provide a more flexible working arrangement that suits both the team and the employee. Therefore, effective managers are often strong communicators with emotional intelligence skills to match.
They create a relationship of trust
If managers want a harmonious relationship with their team, it can be useful for them to prioritise establishing a relationship of trust and transparency. When they delegate tasks to particular employees, they might stay conscious of everyone’s respective workloads so they’re not overburdening any one employee. Instead, the work could be distributed carefully and fairly. When employees are delegated tasks that play to their strengths, they might also feel more understood and respected in the team.
At the end of the day, an effective manager will likely see building trust as a long-term goal. It’s not something that happens all of a sudden and it might take months for this to develop, especially if this manager is new to the company (and hasn’t been hired internally). One way to do this is to find out what matters most to employees and focus on helping to deliver this. They might have concerns about the fairness of some business practices.
A manager’s team might flag a concern that their office or shop floor is too cold. In this case, a manager might be able to earn the trust of their team by installing a better radiator or working out how to prevent any drafts. Listening and responding to employee concerns, therefore, doesn’t have to involve drastic organisational transformations; it might just take an open mind and good problem-solving abilities.
Realise that they may not have all of the answers
Following on from this, employers may be more receptive and trusting of a manager who accepts that they do not always have the answers to problems. A manager who asks a lot of questions is not necessarily weak, nor does it mean that they lack sufficient knowledge in their field. Instead, inquisitiveness shows a willingness to approach a task flexibly, looking at it from all sides before making a decision.
Effective managers might draw on suggestions from their team before deciding on a solution. It could be that an employee in the team has specialist knowledge that the manager can draw on for advice. Perhaps this employee has a background in coding, or they know how to fix certain computer bugs. The manager appreciates that this is the person to go to if they need to solve this type of issue.
Can set a good example
Employees often look to their managers to see how they should behave. While employees don’t necessarily have to copy their manager, they’ll probably be watching and listening to the way that they handle clients and customers. An unflappable manager who is able to troubleshoot issues for a customer could be a great inspiration for their team. If employees know that their manager is able to handle their own workload and delegate effectively, they’re more likely to feel calm and in control of their own responsibilities. After all, a manager is supposed to be leading the team through different daily tasks.
Onboarding is one key point in an employee’s life cycle where managers can really set an example to employees. They might show new recruits how to handle equipment, deal with customers in the correct manner, or use certain computer software. If a manager is a demonstrably good teacher, then their employee is probably going to feel more confident working through the tasks and asking questions when they need help.
Looks after their team
Leading a team through successes and failures is a big part of a manager’s responsibilities. When new challenges appear, it’s usually down to the team’s manager to step up and work out new solutions or approaches to them. An effective manager will likely accept responsibility if a team fails to adequately reach a goal. This is especially true if this is the result of them failing to delegate tasks appropriately, or explaining what needs to be done.
A manager might not always take responsibility for everything that their team gets wrong, such as if certain employees aren’t contributing enough. However, they’ll likely know how to objectively assess any weak points in the current overall strategy. On the other hand, a good manager will also probably understand how to celebrate the achievements of the entire team. Perhaps they’ll take them out to celebrate if they’ve made a successful pitch, or they’ll hold an end of year party. This can be a great morale boost especially when making progress can be stressful for everyone involved.
Managing a remote team, though, might require a slightly different approach. A manager working with a global team will likely have to be respectful of different cultures; holidays, time zones and collaboration styles are all things to take into consideration. Another issue to watch out for when managing a remote team is proximity bias. If a manager wants to effectively look after their entire team, they’ll probably make their remote employees feel as included as possible (and not just celebrate the achievements of their colleagues in the office).
These points provide a few suggestions for what makes a good manager. An effective manager is often observant and emotionally intelligent. They’ll be able to handle issues when they arise and be flexible in their management style when it’s needed. As working environments change and more employees start to work on a remote or flexible basis, managers may have to learn to look after their entire team no matter where they’re working.
