Following on from last week, I continue with the good news... The top 10 best management practices:
1. Taking responsibility for actions
This extends to taking responsibility for decisions made and the consequences of those decisions. As managers have to be responsible for the process of work from beginning to end, it is an asset to be able to be orderly and strong in the process of being responsible.
2. Being fair
Wishy-washiness does not cut it in the business world of today and managers understand this.
Jill Hamlyn, MD, The People Business
A good manager acts with fairness towards all those being managed and is disciplined enough to treat all with equality. This discipline extends to those being managed. If rules are transgressed, the good manager will bring the transgressor to book in the fairest manner possible, not at anybody`s expense.
3. Insight and discernment
Two of the characteristics of being a good manager go hand-in-hand. As a manager, you should be able to cultivate insight into every single element of the scenario. You also have to be able to sort the fact from the fiction, and be strong enough to let go when the situation demands it.
4. Inability to become emotionally submerged
The fewer emotions that come into play in a work-related situation, the better it is for all concerned, as the manager will not let emotions run amok and potentially cause damage. Once emotions are in control of a situation, logic finds the nearest exit and rationality flies through the window. Keeping emotions in check paves the way for situations to be assessed and dealt with.
5. Discipline and a commitment to getting things done
This is especially important in follow-through. Seeing the process through from beginning to end is a characteristic found in most good management situations. The manager and team should be gunning for results. Results are imperative and a focus on these keeps the process oiled.
6. Nipping problems in the bud
This is closely allied to having insight into every aspect of the situation. While some good managers are eerily prescient and are able to anticipate problems before they even arise, the majority deal firmly with problems as they present themselves, understanding that the smaller the problem, the more manageable it is and the quicker it can be resolved.
7. Looks after the well-being of the team
Instead of looking out for number one or only one person on the team, good management practitioners understand that a team follows a Gestalt principle - the whole is greater than the sum of its parts - and acts accordingly. No one person is given preference over another and no individual need takes precedence over the needs of the team as a whole. The team is nurtured.
8. Ability to differentiate between management and leadership
Although many people would have the world believe differently, there is a difference between being a manager and being a leader. A manager can be a leader, but a leader is not necessarily a manager. Managing, setting goals, driven by the process and results are all in a day`s work for a manager.
9. Ability to manage
This is a characteristic that is closely allied to the one above. Although seemingly stating the obvious, a good manager has the ability to manage and a confidence in this ability. A good manager is process- and results-driven and is able to guide, develop and encourage.
10. Firmness
Wishy-washiness does not cut it in the business world of today and managers understand this. The ability to be firm, both with oneself and with the members of the team, ensures that the process stays on track and work gets done. Firmness should not be confused with rigidity; one can be firm and flexible at the same time.
Managers are an indispensable part of the business environment, and the art of management is one that can be developed and enhanced through simple techniques and tactics. Management fashions may come and go, but these 10 core characteristics tend to remain the same over time and across environments.
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