The need for an effective manager in a fast-paced work environment cannot be denied. Spotting a manager who envisions both organizational growth and employee growth is tough. A study conducted by Gallup in 2013 shows that there are over 500 billion dollars of lost productivity in a single FY because of disengaged managers. The number is quite alarming considering the lost revenue. A proper manager can help the company to combat organizational loss. But the question is what makes a good manager? Several traits make a great manager. Let's have a look.
Who is a good manager?
A good manager is someone who holds the middle ground of being a critic as well as a friend of their employee. S/he does not try to be overbearing rather aim to be a mentor who guides through the development process. Organizational growth and strategic goals aren’t the only concern of a good manager. S/he is also concerned about employee satisfaction and output as well.
While most managers are disengaged with their employees, an effective manager fosters a sense of reliability and engagement that makes them a great mentor as well. Overall, a good manager not only finds the balance among the organization, employee, and workload but also manages these components for collective growth.
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Top 10 Qualities of a Good Manager
A proper manager has a lot of distinct characteristics. Here are the top 10 qualities of a great manager.
Being a Good Listener
We mentioned how most managers are disengaged with their employees. This happens due to communication gap. An effective manager doesn’t simply delegate responsibilities. S/he finds the time to sit with their subordinates and listen to them. Whether it’s a personal matter or a work-related issue, an ideal manager is always ready to lend their ears and thoughts to an employee.
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Showing Genuine Interest
Employees can make or break an organization. Their needs and comfort should be the priority of any organization. There is a saying that if you take care of your employees, they will take care of your organization in return.
A right manager is concerned about the employees. S/he will show genuine interest in the life and well-being of the employee. It won't take much out of a manager's time to ask about what an employee is doing, but these little gestures will go a long way to ensure employee satisfaction.
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Showing Fair attitude
More often than not, we see managers showing bias towards or against an employee. Favoritism or nepotism in the workplace can bring harsh consequences for the organization. Activities like this will create resentment and depression among the neglected employees and drive down their productivity. A fair manager recognizes these consequences and practices fair and equal approach to each employee.
Communicating Well
The main responsibility of a manager is to manage their employee. In this regard, communication is an important key. Whether its task delegation or work evaluation, it becomes hard to manage the employees without proper communication skills.
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A great manager is always a good leader. S/he tends to be vocal and communicate well with their peers. This trait not only helps to keep any sort of confusion at bay but also keep the progress of the employees in check.
Fostering a Productive Environment
A fair manager works to ensure that the employees are performing at an optimum level. Most of the time, employees get overburdened with work resulting in burnout. A manager has to ensure that the employees aren’t overworked. The idea is to find a proper balance between work and life all the while being productive.
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Being a Good Coach
An employee looks up to their manager for guidance and direction. It’s completely unrealistic that a manager would delegate the task to their employees without ensuring their competence. The right manager makes sure that s/he is mentoring the fresh hires. Collective growth is achieved by the dissemination of knowledge and experience.
Recognizing Employee's Talent
A good manager would try to identify what you are good at. Your strengths define you as an employee. A great manager would recognize your strength and delegate tasks accordingly. S/he tends to focus on their skills and creates a productive environment around them. As a result, the overall productivity level of the organization goes up.
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Taking Responsibility
More often than not you will see managers solely blaming the employees for a mistake. This type of behavior induces fear among the employees and they tend to stay on constant alert. Needless to say, this creates a toxic environment and drives down the employee satisfaction rate.
On the other hand, a decent manager takes responsibility for a situation rather than directly blaming the employees. Furthermore, a great manager feels the need to be accountable to his/her employees for any action. These initiatives promote an environment of trust and confidence among the employees as well as motivation to do better.
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Being Empathetic
You might be having a tough time at work or may simply feel off. Instead of being rude at you, a good manager would show genuine concern about your situation. S/he will try to understand the issue and do every bit to make things better. Being empathetic is a simple human trait. However, this simple trait in a manager often makes them a blessing for the employees.
Setting Clear Expectations
A good manager would clearly outline what is expected from you. Often managers fail to define the strategic goals of the organization; as a result they fail to understand what should be expected from the employees. The lack of proper vision creates confusions that often hinder the performance level of the employees. A responsible manager works to ensure that every employee understands his/her part and acts accordingly.
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Final Thoughts
It's not easy to define what makes a good manager. An fair manager has many traits and qualities. In this article, we have highlighted 10 qualities of an effective manager. In simple words, a proper manager makes a balance between employee development and task management. And, these certain basic elements set them apart from the rest.
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