How do I Become an Effective Manager?

Learning to become an effective manager often takes time and experience, however it can be achieved much sooner if a prospective manager has the management skills, understanding, and insight to tune in to what his employees need and want. To become an effective manager means to be a coach, a mentor and a leader to pave the way for others. The best managers understand that being in charge of others is not about creating a fearful or intimidating environment, but rather one that inspires others to achieve more through setting an example and giving praise whenever possible.

The most effective managers learn to balance the role of being a leader with one of being a patient mentor. By talking with and observing the work of subordinates, a good manager can become good at finding out what skills, interests, strengths and weaknesses exist. This information can be used to design additional training opportunities and develop employees into higher- functioning members of a team. This creates a cohesive work environment in which employees are challenged to excel, rather than live in fear of failure.

Another key aspect of becoming an effective manager is by setting an example to the rest of the team as to what is expected. This can be as simple as adhering to the company mission statement, discussing proper employee etiquette whenever possible, and participating in the workplace by demonstrating the right way to do certain tasks. As employees experience this leadership in action, they are more apt to want to meet and exceed their manager's expectations.

A critical aspect of becoming a more effective manager is having a very clear method of communicating with others. Many misunderstandings occur when managers assume employees know what is expected of them, but then fall short of these unspoken expectations. A good manager is able to convey in both verbal and written form what is required to do the work well and what the rewards will be if work is performed well. Likewise, consequences for poor performance should be stated at times to further emphasize the need for effective communication and accountability.

It takes a great manager to recognize and reward top performers within an organization; an action which can help a manager become much more effective. This is an area where many managers fail because there is too much emphasis on focusing on the faults or mistakes of subordinates. Instead, a good manager takes the time to verbally praise employees who do something well and regularly recognizes and rewards those who go above and beyond the call of duty. By noticing the positive, an effective manager will encourage each employee to work hard towards achieving great things.