Five Habits of Highly Effective Managers

Do you pride yourself on being an effective manager? A manager who can motivate their team and drive exceptional results? For some it may come as natural, but for the majority of managers mastering the five habits is critical to success in the workplace. Over the years, I have learned from some of the best and made notes as to what works well and what doesn’t. Whether you need a reminder or want to expand your skill set here are the tricks of the trade.

1. Apologize quickly or face resentment: The goal of each manager is to be trustworthy and have high standards for integrity. Admitting your mistakes as soon as they happen, help you build your reputation with your direct reports. By gracefully admitting when you are wrong you show that you are human and that you realize your shortcomings. Take it a step further and put in place your steps to correct the situation without holding blame to your team. This may seem intuitive but often you’ll find a manager who ignores this simple principle.
2. Establish smart goals for your team: Rule by the iron fist isn’t going to produce quality work. To get what you want done you need to be clear and concise with your objectives. Explain to your team what needs to get done and the steps to follow. If you’re lucky, you’ll have self-starters on your squad. More often than not, you’ll have a team that is going to be more effective by telling them rather than having them figure it out on their own. This way you reduce redundant steps, have a focused vision, and can take out the guessing game.
3. Express confidence and expertise: To be a thought leader you need to know your industry and department. Establish your authority by showing your team both verbally and physically that you have the confidence and faith to get the job done. Just as dogs can smell fear, people can see it. No one listens to a person who doesn’t believe in himself and can’t answer the difficult questions. Step up your game or you’ll lose your respect.
4. Let your team shine, or darkness will prevail: If you think focusing on what your team does wrong will give you the most productivity then you’re in to lose your money. The key to keeping things moving in a healthy direction is by easing up on their weaknesses and bringing attention to their strengths. In times of failure it’s harder to listen to someone telling you where you went wrong. Instead, by saying what they did right will open their ears to listen to how they could have been better. Give recognition where it’s due and you’ll be smoothing sailing into tomorrow.
5. Be approachable or risk the bottom-line: Some managers capture the spot light because of their approachable personality. Whether it’s their charismatic nature or thoughtfulness, people tend to flock and listen to these managers. Do your employees think you’re standoffish? Do they always see you behind closed doors or clutters of papers on your desk that make you look too busy? If you’ve answered yes to either of these questions you need to rethink your strategy. You can start by giving your team the time of day when they need it most. Taking your team to lunch, helping them with a personal task, or listening to their weekend stories will give you likeable points and more office productivity.

Each manager has their own style of bringing success to a team. These are my thoughts and I’d like to hear back from you. Reply in the comments with what has worked and hasn’t for you and your organization.