What makes an effective manager?

Surely managing people effectively is a necessity for all businesses? After all, it is employees who are responsible the day-to-day operation of the business and interaction with your customers. Managing people effectively is essential if a business is to work to optimum productivity levels and it is hard to disagree with the following statement ‘happy staff members tend to be more hard working and loyal to their organisation’.

If you are managing a team of people what can you do to get the best out of them? Below is a list of key behaviours that will certainly allow you to engage with employees in a manner encourages good levels of performance. Which ones are you doing at the moment?

Understand the value of employees

All managers need to appreciate the role employees play in the organisation and the contribution they make on a daily basis. If they underestimate the effort put in by staff members this can impact on the way they handle individuals. Employees should be viewed as a valuable asset to be nurtured and protected.

Recognition & Gratitude

Managers should show their appreciation for a job well done. Where possible provide positive feedback to workers, but saying 'thank you' can make all the difference and can have significant positive effects. Expressing gratitude can help develop loyalty and ensure workers are willing to invest maximum time and effort each day.

Communicate clearly

Employees need to understand very clearly what is expected of them, for any individual task on any given day. This means clearly communicating effectively with workers, and ensuring they know what they are meant to be doing.

Active Listening

Actively listening and making time for employees is also important. Often regarding work matters, but not always. Some staff members simply need to let off steam or have somebody to discuss a particular issue with.

Make decisions

Being decisive is important for managers in the workplace. A team of employees is ready to follow your lead, but they need to be given appropriate direction. If you are incapable of making a decision and communicating this clearly to your staff members, everyone could find themselves left in limbo.

Trust employees to achieve

Good managers have mastered the art of delegation. They have the ability to allocate tasks to free up time in their own working day for quality people management time. They also trust workers to handle important tasks. If employees feel they are being backed to achieve by their Manager there is an added incentive to ensure they do a good job.

Give employees freedom

Micro-managers can alienate employees very quickly. It is important to give workers space to develop and to find their own ways of dealing with the challenges they face. Employees do not want to feel like robots and it is important that they can make decisions relating to their own working responsibilities.

Set a good example

Employees are looking for somebody they can look up to. Being a positive role model allows an employee a positive example to follow and display the same work ethic and behaviours.

Maguire’s Managing & Leading Teams open programme covers all of the key topics mentioned above and provides a great foundation for any new managers or those who are already managing others but are yet to receive and formal training. Managing others effectively.

http://www.maguiretraining.co.uk/open-courses-academies/managing-leading-teams-o/