What Does it Take to Be a Good Manager at Work?

Behind any successful organization is an engaged workforce, and behind any engaged workforce is a great manager. Here are some tips to help youmotivate your team.

1. Effective Communication

Great managers need to be able to inspire, inform and mediate. The cornerstone of productivity is clear communication of goals to your team members. Employees need a clear picture of the direction of their company, so any ramp-up of effort or shift in deadlines can be understood rather than resented. But communication is a two-way street. A good manager must also be an active listener. By addressing questions and concerns quickly, you give your team members a voice and an opportunity to help the team grow together.

2. Positivity and Warmth

Employees don’t want to work for a robot. You can acknowledge your team members as human beings by remembering to be one yourself. You must, of course, temper your output, finding a middle ground between clown and autocrat. The work comes first, but social events after hours are a time-honored method of getting to know the people for whom you are responsible, so that you can understand them as individuals.

3.Looking out for your employees

Your employees dedicate their precious time for the survival of your business. It’s only fair to do the same for them in return. Let your employees feel appreciated by offering them a substantial healthcare and life cover plan that protects them and their family. Plus, employee benefits are increasingly becoming the criteria employees value the most.

4. Organization

Depending on your industry, organizational skills can take many different forms. You may find that as a manager, all you need to do is maintain quotas and hold weekly meetings — or you may find that you need to learn additional skills in project or people management. Look for management training courses, which might be offered by your HR team, or available outside of work.

5. Objectivity

Conflict resolution can be tough to navigate at work. As a manager, it will be your responsibility to manage different relationships on your team, solve problems that come up and still maintain productivity. As these issues pop up, you’ll need to be able to take a step back from any personal connections you’ve come to share with your team members. This allows you to take an objective, balanced approach that serves the organization and the team, rather than individuals.

6. Constructive Criticism

Sharing feedback as a manager can be essential to enhancing the performance of your team. But you should only deliver criticism in a constructive way that inspires your team members. This can be tricky, but your approach should focus on helping each individual learn something new and put better habits and skills into practice.

Good management skills can take time to develop. Make sure your team understands your values as a leader, and nurture key competencies that will help you and your team grow and succeed together.