What Great Managers Do Differently!

What do Great Managers do differently? How can I be a Great Manager?

Throughout my career, I have pondered these questions, discussed them with my mentors, almost all my managers, and the amazing leaders from various industries with whom I have worked. They all responded differently to this question, based on their own context and experiences.

I have gained considerable experience managing teams over the years. I believe that somewhere along the line I became more aware of the direction to take. This direction & awareness came from the team members & the managers i worked with.

Thanks to my Managers and my Team members for providing constant feedback on what I was doing right, what I was doing wrong, and most importantly what I shouldn't be doing.

If I share a bit of what I've learned, maybe it will help others. So, here it goes:

A great manager is one who can improve the lives of Team members around them. This is something that not many people realise, but it's true.

STEP 1: THINK ABOUT THEIR CURRENT STATE DIFFERENTLY

The first step in becoming a great manager is being aware of your own strengths and Improvement areas. It's important to know what you're good at, but also know where you need improvement. The right way to do this is to genuinely recognise how much you have learned over time and how much more there is for you to learn still! and keep working towards it.

Be aware of how owning your mistakes can help your team. It's ok not to be Mr/Ms Perfect every single time & it's great to accept that.

STEP 2: PRACTICE WHAT YOU PREACH/BE A ROLE MODEL

It's important to be an example of what you want your team to become.

This means being a good coach, a mentor, a teacher and a leader depending upon the situation you are in. It also means being a good communicator and listener who is able to listen without interrupting or judging the person speaking.

Model healthy behaviours such as great Time management, Meeting Deadlines, Listening carefully & completely before speaking anything or responding and following through with promises made(Walk the Talk-Very imp).

Being a great manager doesn't just mean having all these traits; it's about bringing what you have out in the open so that the team can see how they apply themselves every day at work.

STEP 3: LETTING TEAM KNOW WHAT IS EXPECTED OUT OF THE TEAM

It's important to communicate clearly with your team, so that they know what is expected of them. If you don't, there will be confusion and chaos—and no one wants that!

Discuss differences openly, if any with each member before coming up with any final decisions regarding how best to achieve set objectives, Take their thoughts into consideration. Always remember, A manager or a leader is as good as his/her team.

STEP 4: HOLDING PEOPLE ACCOUNTABLE FOR THEIR ACTIONS

The best way to do this is by being clear with your team about expectations and consequences. Timely feedback helps build trust between managers and the team so that both sides know exactly what's expected from each other as well as how they're doing compared against those expectations (or not).

This also helps team to take on responsibility & accountability of their actions which is an important parameter for future growth.

STEP 5: MAKING IT SAFE TO DISCUSS MISTAKES, SHARE IDEAS & ACT ON THEM.

There are two ways to make it safe for people to discuss mistakes and other ideas.

First, everyone needs their own space where they can be alone or in a group without being interrupted. It may be as simple as having an area where you can go off-site for a few minutes, but it has to be private so no one will walk in on you.

In addition, create an environment of encouragement where they can express their thoughts, ideas, mistakes (even if you don't think they're worth it), a safe space where their views are heard, valued, and implemented if they're useful.

STEP 6: HELPING BUILD/ACQUIRE THE SKILLS THE TEAM NEEDS & WHAT TAKES THEM AHEAD IN WHAT THEY DO

It's extremely Important to know your team's strengths and improvement areas. You need to provide the team opportunities for improvement and feedback on their progress on a timely manner.

Help them develop a career path that aligns with the org. goals and their personal career goals to maximise the output.

Hope this will help others as well to become a "Great Manager".

Adrian Williams Pallab Banerjee Vibhuti Anand Niharika Sharma Pallavi Naik Shramika Ghagare Deepika Kate Mr. Mounish Mhatre Namisha Gupta Roshni Shivani Diptamoy Goswami Sabina gomes