10 things that (very) good managers do every day

We all dream of having a top-notch boss, who respects and nurtures us! I’ve been very fortunate in my career, since I’ve met quite a few. But what defines a good boss? We all have our own ideas about that, but there’s a common thread, and that’s what this article is about. I believe that good managers share certain characteristics. Every day, they have to behave in a specific way. This doesn’t mean they act like robots, but in my view, they need to respect a few fundamentals, listed below:

1- A (very) good manager doesn’t overdo meetings

It strikes me that a lot of managers like to have meetings planned from dawn 'til dusk. A manager is supposed to look after their team and thus needs to be available for them... they are not paid to spend every waking moment in meetings.

2- A (very) good manager shows empathy

Understanding how each member of your team functions helps to get the best out of them. We are not robots, and managers must adapt to each individual.

3- A (very) good manager keeps a smile on their face

Would you enjoy working with a sour puss? A good manager knows how to handle pressure, see the big picture and maintain a pleasant mood in any situation, even when the going gets tough. A very good manager maintains a pleasant mood, ostensibly at least, even in crisis.

4- A (very) good manager shares information

Being a manager means not using your status as a pretext to withhold information. A good manager shares information so that each team member can find meaning in their work.

"Overly lax and overly harsh managers are both disasters." Carlos Ghosn

5- A (very) good manager praises their team

We all crave recognition. A good manager knows how to give credit where credit’s due and takes the lead in expressly praising a job well done to make their staff feel valued.

6- A (very) good manager understands you are not their slave

No, your schedule is not less important than your boss’s and a good manager is aware of this. If you don’t have time to finish your work because your boss keeps interrupting, it means they don’t realize that if your work isn’t up to standard, it will impact the entire team.

7- A (very) good manager is fearless

Managerial spunk is probably one of the rarest qualities. Facing up to their responsibilities, admitting their mistakes, knowing how to say no... all of these are things a good manager must be able to do.

8- A (very) good manager looks after their whole team

That’s right... a good manager can’t play favorites. Unfortunately, most managers spend around 80% of their time with around 20% of their team. Whether this is down to greater affinity with certain staff members as individuals or with the work they do, managers sometimes tend to overlook part of their team. A good manager must divvy up their time so that each person feels managed.

9- A (very) good manager understands that you have a private life

No e-mails in the evening or on weekends, no 7 pm meetings, no vacation days cancelled at the last minute... a good manager understands that if you have time for a rewarding private life, it’ll make you even more efficient at work.

10- A (very) good manager helps their team grow

A good manager knows that each member of their team is transient. Their role is to help each individual gain new skills in order to climb the career ladder if they so wish... perhaps as part of another company. A good manager must not fear having people who outstrip their own talent on their team.

Conclusion

OK, so being a good manager is no mean feat. But nobody ever claimed being a manager was an easy job. The problem is that jobs in management often get offered to people with the right technical skills and not the right soft skills. For example, in a sales team, it is far too frequently the person with the best sales figures who gets appointed manager, even though there is no guarantee that they have the people skills necessary to pass their know-how on to others...

This said, the wonderful thing for good managers is that it’s an incredibly gratifying job. Having worked in this capacity myself for over 20 years, I don’t know if I was always a good manager, but I am at least 100% sure I always tried to be. After all... nobody’s perfect!

Ga?l Chatelain

french version of that article

Other article : KINDNESS : THE FUTURE OF MANAGEMENT!

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Ga?l Chatelain is a best-selling French author. His work focuses on people-centred management, well-being and the fight against sexism at work. One of his books, "Mon boss est nul, mais je le soigne" (How to Fix a Lousy Boss), launched in 2017 is still n°1 in France in the management book category. 

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