What makes a good manager?
There are several different views depending on the type and size if the
business involved. However most can
agree there are approximately ten characteristics that all mangers need to have
and here are a few. First a good manager
must be self-motivated. A manager needs
to be capable of understanding the basic goals of the business and developing
their own strategies for achieving those goals. A manager needs to be able to
set goals for their employees and help them to achieve those goals.
Of course dependability is part of the self-motivation. A manager must be able to be at work on time
and able to complete their assigned tasks.
This leads to the second characteristic which is good leadership
skills. Good leadership skills include
being confident in their ability to lead a team. A manger needs to be a good
public speaker, someone who can delegate tasks appropriately and a person that
people will feel comfortable taking directions from. Third is being a good team player. The manager has to be someone who is
committed to working with a team of people for the improvement of the whole
business. The ability to communicate
effectively is of paramount importance as only with proper communication can a
manager bridge the gap between the upper-level bosses and the lower-level
employees. This leads into the fourth
characteristic which is great customer service skills. No matter what type of business you are in,
you can benefit from having a manager who is excellent in dealing with
customers and clients. Ultimately this may not be a large percentage of the
manager's job since the daily tasks of customer service will fall to other
employees. However, when problems arise with customers, the manager is the one
who has the potential to diffuse the situation or to exacerbate it. You want to
hire a manager who is going to be capable of making even the most difficult
customers happy so that you can retain customers and the business can grow. The final characteristic is the ability to
resolve conflicts. There will always be conflicts in the workplace and often a
manager’s role will be as an intermediary.
This can be between two lower- level employees, an upper executive and a
lower-level employee, or an employee and a customer. The manager must be empathetic but have a
firm grasp on the procedures and rules of the company. The manager must be able to make a quick
decisive decision and be able defend that decision. There are many other characteristics that can
be included but these are the ones considered most important.
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