It is said that people are leaving companies, but their bosses are. Bad management has a major impact on an employee’s well-being. A job that has everything on paper to be interesting and attractive can still give someone the feeling that he should serve a prison sentence if the manager is disappointed.
And nobody wants to be that boss. You know, the boss who wants to micromanage the smallest details, who constantly complains about how difficult and tough his or her job is, and who doesn’t seem to have a clue of how to motivate people. It is never too late to review your management style! Here are a few tips to be a good manager:
Be a leader, not a manager
The difference between asking and saying is an important one. If you make demands, you probably run into resistance. Make time to explain why change is important and lead with respect. Then there is a good chance that your employees will automatically pick up what is expected of them. Check regularly whether they are still on schedule and help them to set and achieve their personal goals. This kind of support structure is more productive than making demands and micromanaging.
Also read: 6 Leadership Skills That You Must Learn For Managerial Positions
Listen to your subordinates
Every guide to efficient management styles emphasizes the importance of communication. Above all, remember that good communication is by definition a two-way street. If you want to be a good manager, communicate your expectations as clearly as possible. But also make sure that you give your employees the space to do the same. If they need support or if they want feedback, they should feel safe enough to ask for it. Listen to what they are saying and make a visible effort to understand their point of view. If they come to you with problems, don’t dismiss them. Make an effort to think along and provide them with options that can lead to a solution.
Be part of the team
The best managers are part of the team they manage. As the boss, you create the framework and you draw the lines. But don’t put yourself above your team. By acting like someone who is part of the team, you will understand better and faster what your people do and how they do it. And that makes it easier to provide support where needed. When you recognize that your team is a unit, it is clear that you must work together. And that everyone should make their strengths available to that team.
Also read: 5 Essential Skills of a Good HR Manager
Utilize the right talent
Strong bosses surround themselves with competent employees who they must then be able to blindly trust to get the job done. As a boss, it is your job to draw the lines of the objectives that your team must achieve and to put the noses in the right direction. If you then have the right people on board to concretely fill in that framework, then not only your job but that of everyone else will become a lot more exciting. A network of talented professionals who support each other, work together, and complement each other is the key to a strong team.
Be a mentor
As a manager, you probably have more work experience than the people who work for you. Share your knowledge and experiences. In this way, you show your employees that you consider their professional growth important. And so you invest in two-way traffic and your exchange is not limited to what they have to do for you.
Lead by example
We know how pedantic this sounds, but it is too important and so we say it anyway. To be a good manager, you must set a good example. Show how you want things to be done instead of telling them the way. Employees have more respect for people who also apply their own rules to themselves.
Give compliments
Many bosses spend a lot of time correcting and managing their people top down. And they unconsciously create a lot of resistance. Although it is undoubtedly not a good idea to use pats on the back as the only form of communication, the other extreme is certainly not advisable. If people have done something right, let them know! Besides, be constructively critical where necessary. Employees will feel best in an environment where they look critically at what can be done better, but where they also receive recognition for the things they do well.
Also read: 6 Skills That Make You a Successful Manager
Set achievable goals
Fixing goals for yourself and your team is important to achieve results. Make sure you and your people have clear objectives to strive for. And share those goals with your team. Make time for consultation with your team to ensure that everyone is on the same page.
Encourage autonomy
As a boss, you don’t have to draw every problem to you and solve it on your own. If you have competent employees, they are just as good at solving problems as you are. With a high-performance team, you shouldn’t have to intervene all the time. Make sure that your employees know for sure where to find you if they really get stuck and then provide them with ways to find solutions.
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