By Dr. Jan Ferri-Reed
Many organizations struggle with the question “what is the proper role for our managers?” But there are different types of managers found in most organizations. Some managers are formal and distant with their employees. Other managers are friendly and enjoy close relationships with workers. But who’s to say which is right? Managers who are overly close with their employees clearly risk being taken advantage of, if not downright ignored. On the other hand, managers who are distant and rigid risk alienating their workers while creating unnecessary tension in the workplace.
Perhaps the best way to consider the proper role for managers is to look at the qualities managers must have in order to be effective at supervising others. The following are a list of the top six qualities and skills that many experts believe are the foundation for effective management.
Communication Skills
Obviously managers are required to interact and communicate, both with their subordinates as well as with their superiors. Perhaps not all managers are equally effective or share the same communication styles as other managers, but it’s vital for a manager to be able to explain to employees what needs to be done, what shouldn’t be done, and how to be successful on the job. Likewise, good communication skills are required of managers, who should be able to listen both to superiors and subordinates.
Leadership Skills
In order to be successful managers have to be able to instill trust in their employees and provide their employees with firm direction, a thorough understanding of the tasks that need to be done, clear understanding of each employee’s role within the operation and the responsibilities for which employees will be held accountable.
Adaptability
Even the best laid plans of executives and engineers can go astray, and the successful manager must be able to adapt to deal with new problems and unique challenges. Employees appreciate a manager who can deal with uncertain situations and necessary ambiguities in order to continue leading the team to success.
Relationship Building
Again, all managers are not cut from the same cloth. However, most effective managers have the ability to build strong personal relationships both with employees as well as with upper management in order to remain successful in their jobs. Employees like to feel valued and trusted and they want to know that their manager feels they can be counted upon. Employees who feel valued and appreciated by their managers are employees who can be counted on to go the extra mile when the chips are down.
Developing Others
Highly motivated employees typically like to feel that they have some future within the organization. Every employee may not aspire to becoming leaders themselves, but they nonetheless want to feel they have some future ahead of them either within the company or outside of it. The desire to grow and learn is re-natural within human beings and effective managers understand how to tap that drive.
Developing Themselves
Life is about learning and effective managers are always looking for opportunities to learn, grow, and become more effective in their jobs. In fact, the love of learning may well be the key factor that separates good managers from poor managers.
As most business owners understand it is always easy to find the right people necessary to running a successful business, particularly of the supervisory level. No matter how technically proficient or knowledgeable a particular employee may be that alone does not qualify him or her to be an effective manager. To be an effective manager requires far more than technical proficiency… It requires a personal “toolbox” that includes skills in communicating, leading, adapting, building relationships, developing others and developing themselves.
(Source: Profiles International)
Contact Dr. Jan Ferri Reed at KEYGroup
