Effective managers never stop working on improving their workplace skills or capacity to manage other people. That principle of willingness to learn and personally improve represents the biggest reason why some managers rise up the company hierarchy while others stay stagnant. Here are five top qualities of effective managers from your friends at Dale Carnegie Training of Michigan that you should be mindful of as you follow your career path:
Be willing to learn — An effective manager means admitting that you sometimes don’t have all the answers. Managers that are unwilling to learn new things themselves are often not supportive of their staff that is interested in learning new things. This type of manager will come across as sometimes making up answers, not supporting training, and being a know-it-all in the workplace.
Know how to motivate employees to act — One quality of an effective manager of high functioning workplaces is the ability to motivate employees to act and do their best work. Effective managers know that what motivates one employee may not be the same thing that motivates and drives all employees. Therefore effective managers do not take a one-size-fits-all approach to leading. Effective managers get to know their people and what motivates them as individuals—recognition, compensation or time off.
Display a “walk-the-walk” attitude — Some managers wear the “do-as-I-say” and not the “do-as-I-do” badge. These types of managers truly believe that they just have to tell employees what to do, but that they are free to behave how they want to behave. For example, this is the kind of manager who writes up an employee for being late to meetings, while he or she keeps employees waiting all the time. Always make sure that you abide by the same rules you lay out for your employees and reports.
Treat all staff respectfully and fairly — If you have ever worked with a manager who plays favorites and pits one employee against another, you know it is not an effective management style. Everyone understands how informal workplace networks work and everyone understands that managers may choose to mentor or sponsor employees. However, when, the manager makes it clear to everyone, that he or she has favorites who can do no wrong; overall workplace morale will decline.
Utilize personnel properly — To be an effective manager means that you are a manager who respects the skills your staff brings to the workplace. Effective managers recognize and acknowledge the skills and expertise of their employees and makes sure that staff has the tools they need to succeed. These types of managers invite questions from staff and encourage participation.
This post is brought to you by the good folks at Dale Carnegie Training of Michigan, providers of professional development and management development courses and information in Michigan. We would love to connect with you on Facebook and Twitter @micarnegie.
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