7 Management Practices To Become A Great Manager
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Introduction:
Great management serves as the very backbone of thriving and successful companies. It’s the cornerstone upon which companies build notable achievements, and plays a pivotal role in steering the ship toward its goals.
Read this article till the end to discover 7 Management Practices that would help you Become A Great Manager.
Great management encompasses a multitude of qualities, from leadership
and communication to strategic thinking and team motivation. Without
effective management, even the most promising ventures can flounder. It is the art of not only understanding the intricacies of a business but also comprehending the individuals who form it.
The experts at Lead Diligently are constantly assisting clients in enhancing their leadership skills from good to great. That is why our panel of experts has shared a set of practices to elevate your performance as a manager. Explore these 7 practices that can help you become the kind of manager your employees admire and organizations promote.
In the words of Steve Jobs, "Simplicity can be harder than complexity: You have to work hard to get your thinking clean to make it simple." By understanding and applying these simple management techniques, you can improve your management skills in any business setting.
1. What is a Great Management?
A manager is an individual entrusted with the responsibility of overseeing a group, team, project, process, or any other entity to ensure its success. A great manager must strike a delicate balance between the needs of their employees, the company, and its customers.
A great manager is not only a task delegate but also a team leader responsible for recognizing and nurturing each employee's unique strengths.
There is a clear distinction between the roles of a manager and a leader, both of which are integral in achieving a company’s success. A great manager is someone who effectively combines these roles by dedicating time and effort to develop their team members.
This not only leads to higher performance and productivity within the team but also benefits the organization as a whole by reducing turnover and boosting morale.
Great Managers are attentive and empathetic toward their employees and can significantly enhance the workplace atmosphere. An insightful study conducted by the University of Warwick revealed a remarkable 12% boost in productivity when employees found satisfaction in their roles.
2. What Are The Functions Of Great Managers?
Great management extends beyond administrative duties. At its core, management is a discipline encompassing five fundamental functions: planning, organizing, staffing, leading, and controlling. These functions are interconnected and form the foundation of managerial practices and theories, guiding the path to great management and successful outcomes.
Understanding these functions helps managers focus their efforts on activities that yield tangible results:
A. Planning:
Planning involves setting objectives and determining the best course of action to achieve those goals. It includes:
B. Organizing:
Organizing is about structuring the resources and tasks necessary to implement the plan. This includes arranging people, materials, and equipment in a way that maximizes efficiency and effectiveness.
C. Leading:
Leadership entails casting a compelling vision, energizing and inspiring employees, and motivating them through effective communication, influence, and persuasion.
D. Staffing:
Staffing involves recruiting, selecting, and developing the right people for the organization. It includes tasks like hiring, training, and ensuring that employees have the skills and resources they need to perform their roles effectively.
E. Controlling:
Controlling is the process of monitoring and evaluating the progress toward achieving goals. It involves measuring performance, comparing it to the established standards, and taking corrective actions if necessary to ensure that objectives are met.
3. The Four Dimensions of Emotional Intelligence For Great Management:
A great manager is not just someone who handles administrative tasks but also supports their team effectively to achieve the best results. According to Deborah Sweeney, a leader at MyCorporation, it is increasingly recognized that individuals with emotional intelligence (High EQ) and soft skills,
including:
tend to be the top performers in any organization. These skills are proving to be more important than having the highest IQ.
"Traditionally, we've been educated to believe that the person with the highest IQ in the room is the most intelligent. Nevertheless, scientific evidence is increasingly demonstrating that individuals possessing emotional intelligence, along with its four fundamental skills are, in fact, the top performers in any organization."
Deborah Sweeney
Emotional intelligence encompasses the ability to understand and manage one's own emotions, as well as the capacity to recognize and influence the emotions of others. Typically, emotional intelligence is divided into four core competencies:
A. Self-Awareness:
Self-awareness stands as the cornerstone of emotional intelligence. It involves not only understanding personal strengths and weaknesses but also recognizing one's emotions and their impact on personal and team performance.
Research by organizational psychologist Tasha Eurich reveals that while 95 percent of people believe they possess self-awareness, only 10 to 15 percent genuinely do.
Lack of self-awareness can:
To enhance your leadership and management skills, start with self-awareness. Techniques like 360-degree feedback, which aligns self-perception with feedback from superiors, peers, and subordinates, can provide valuable insights into your behavior and how you are perceived within the organization.
B. Self-Management:
Self-management pertains to the ability to control emotions, especially in high-pressure situations, and maintain a positive outlook even in the face of setbacks. Leaders with strong self-management skills can transition from reactive responses to thoughtful ones, pausing to collect themselves when necessary.
C. Social Awareness:
While understanding and managing personal emotions is crucial, social awareness involves the capacity to perceive the emotions of others and comprehend the dynamics within an organization. Leaders skilled in social awareness practice empathy, seeking to understand their colleagues' emotions and viewpoints. This ability enhances communication and collaboration with peers, ultimately leading to more effective leadership and management.
Empathy is a highly valued leadership skill, with studies showing that empathetic leaders outperform others in coaching, engaging team members, and decision-making. Demonstrating empathy also garners recognition from higher-ups, as revealed in research by the Center for Creative Leadership.
D. Relationship Management:
Relationship management focuses on the skill of influencing, coaching, mentoring, and resolving conflicts effectively. While some may avoid conflict, addressing issues promptly is crucial. Unresolved conflicts can lead to significant productivity losses through gossip and other unproductive activities, as research indicates.
Maintaining a respectful workplace, characterized by open communication and conflict resolution, is paramount to keeping employees content. In a survey by the Society for Human Resource Management, 72% of employees cited 'respectful treatment of all employees at all levels' as the top factor contributing to job satisfaction.
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4. 7 Management Practices to Be a Great Manager:
Here are the Five Management Practices to become a great manager in the light of Gino Wickman's Book ‘How to Be A Great Boss’.
A. Set Transparent Expectations:
To excel as a manager, effective communication and clarity are paramount. This involves several crucial steps. First and foremost, it is essential to establish and convey clear expectations to your team members. This means defining their primary roles and responsibilities within the organization, and ensuring everyone understands their specific tasks and duties. Additionally, articulating the core values of the company is vital, as it helps team members align with the organization's culture and principles.
Outlining key priorities or 'rocks', which are the most critical objectives to be achieved within a specified timeframe, provides a sense of direction and purpose.
Specifying key performance indicators (KPIs) enables team members to gauge their progress and success, offering a tangible means of tracking and evaluating their contributions. In essence, great management hinges on transparent communication and a shared understanding of roles, values, goals, and performance metrics.
B. Effective Communication:
Promoting effective communication is a cornerstone of successful management. It involves creating an environment where open and honest dialogue with your team is encouraged. To achieve this, prioritize the act of asking questions rather than merely making statements. Confirm understanding by summarizing what you've heard, and actively encourage your team members to do the same.
This approach ensures that everyone is on the same page, and it fosters a culture of clarity and mutual understanding within the team, which is crucial for achieving shared goals.
C. Delegate the Right Tasks to the Right Team Members:
Great Management is all about working together to achieve goals. You shouldn't try to do everything on your own as a manager. Your job is to assign tasks to your team members based on their strengths. HBS Professor Amy Edmondson in an interview for Management
Essentials states that:
“One of the leadership challenges is to set direction, to set that aspiration, and to recognize that you don't have the answers yourself. You have to empower and delegate to others the actual work of figuring out how to get things done and getting them done, and then they can come back to you and ask for help.”
Amy Edmondson
It's important to delegate tasks to the right people. Make sure that the people you delegate to have the necessary resources, skills, and time to do the work. Be there to answer questions and support them along the way.
While it might be tempting to do everything yourself, being a better manager means trusting your team, not micromanaging, and using each team member's skills to get the job done on time and within budget.
D. Maintain a Consistent Meeting Pulse:
Consistency is key in management. Consistent meeting fosters a culture of accountability, clarity, and efficiency in the workplace. Maintain a regular Meeting Pulse by conducting weekly team meetings lasting 60 to 90 minutes. Conducting weekly team meetings on a consistent day and time allows team members to plan their schedules accordingly, fostering a sense of predictability and stability.
This consistency also demonstrates a commitment to effective communication within the organization. Moreover, adhering to a consistent schedule ensures that important discussions and updates are not overlooked or postponed.
When team members know that meetings start and end punctually, they are more likely to come prepared, contribute actively, and respect each
other's time.
Consistent Meeting Pulse should focus on reviewing priorities, analyzing relevant metrics, and addressing any emerging issues. This practice ensures that everyone stays aligned with the organization's goals, measures progress objectively and tackles challenges promptly.
E. Continuous Learning Through Questioning:
Great managers often excel at asking questions. These questions serve various purposes, such as:
Asking questions is a valuable management practice within an organization because it promotes continuous learning and critical thinking. Great managers leverage questions to expand their knowledge, challenge assumptions, and explore innovative concepts.
Moreover, they utilize questions as a means to empower team members by encouraging problem-solving and fostering a culture of growth and development. Listening is a powerful tool for great managers and leaders. It improves relationships, communication, problem-solving, and overall team dynamics.
By incorporating questions into their management approach, great managers stimulate insights, promote critical thinking, and contribute to the ongoing improvement of both themselves and their teams.
F. Reward and Recognition Through Effective Feedback:
Many professionals tend to avoid candid and critical conversations, fearing they might hurt someone's feelings or harm a working relationship.
However, understanding how to provide and receive feedback is vital for your team's development and growth.
Great managers understand this approach and make it a routine to offer regular, informal feedback to their employees rather than waiting for formal review periods. When giving feedback, they make sure that their comments are precise and actionable.
If you want to be a great manager you should know that simply praising your direct reports isn't sufficient; you should pinpoint where your employees excelled and where they need improvement to facilitate their growth.
Besides delivering feedback to your team, remain receptive to evaluations of your performance. Seek out a trusted colleague who can provide frank assessments of your strengths and weaknesses.
It's essential to approach their feedback with an open mind and request specific instances where you exhibited both good and poor managerial behaviors. Armed with these insights, you can create a personal action plan for enhancement.
By consistently exchanging feedback, both providing and receiving it, you and your team members can support each other's growth while strengthening your working relationship.
G. Lead By Example And Execute The Vision:
Great managers understand the importance of being physically and mentally present in the workplace. They are accessible to their team members and lead by example.
When managers are present, they can better assess the work environment, identify any challenges or opportunities, and provide timely support to their employees fostering a sense of connection and trust among the team.
While good managers may follow the organization's plan and processes, great managers take it a step further by aligning their team with the broader vision.
They translate the organization's vision into actionable goals and inspire their employees to work toward these objectives. Through their leadership, they ensure that the vision is not just a document but a living, breathing reality within the organization.
Wrapping Up:
In a nutshell, Great managers wield a positive influence on the lives of their team members, aiding them in acquiring new skills and preparing for future leadership roles within the organization.
It's important to note that the journey to becoming a great manager is not instantaneous; it requires ongoing efforts and consistency. While the managerial role offers opportunities for career advancement, it's also worth acknowledging that it can be a demanding and at times, ungrateful position.
So, are you prepared to take the necessary steps to embody the 7 Management Practices To Become A Great Manager? Let us know about your thoughts in the comment section below!
FAQs
1. What qualities define a Great manager?
A great manager possesses qualities such as effective communication, empathy, strong leadership, and the ability to set clear expectations.
2. Why is self-awareness essential for effective management?
Self-awareness is crucial for managers as it helps them understand their strengths and weaknesses, enabling them to lead by example and improve their interactions with their team.
3. How can great managers foster a positive work environment?
Great managers can create a positive work environment by communicating well, maintaining a consistent meeting schedule, and addressing team concerns promptly and effectively.
4. What role does emotional intelligence play in management?
Emotional intelligence is vital for understanding and managing emotions, as well as recognizing and influencing the emotions of others, which is essential for effective leadership and team dynamics.