What Skills and Traits Make a Good Manager?

There’s no question that a good manager is essential to any organization’s success. But what skills and traits make a good manager?

While there are many different managerial styles, there are some common qualities that all good managers share. If you’re looking to improve your own management skills, or you’re trying to spot those qualities in a potential leader, here are some traits to look for:

1. Communication Skills.
2. Decision-Making Skills.
3. Organizational Skills.
4. Interpersonal Skills.
5. Strategic Thinking Skills.

These are just a few of what skills and traits make a good manager. If you’re looking to improve your own management skills, or you’re trying to identify potential leaders within your organization, keep an eye out for these traits.

Table of Contents

What Skills and Traits Make a Good Manager?

It’s no secret that trust is essential for any relationship – including the one between a leader and their team.

After all, how can you expect your team to follow your lead if they don’t trust you?

The same goes for delegation. If you’re constantly micromanaging every task your team members are responsible for, they’ll never learn to take initiative themselves.

Not only is this frustrating for them, but it’ll also hinder their development as professionals.

So what does this all mean?

In order to be an effective leader, you need to learn how to delegate tasks and build trust with your team members. By doing so, you’ll create a strong foundation upon which your team can thrive!

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Good Communication Skills

By definition, communication is the act of transferring information from one individual to another. In the business world, this process becomes even more complicated as there are often multiple stakeholders involved in any given conversation.

The ability to communicate effectively can help build trust among team members and maintain relationships with clients or customers.

Furthermore, good communication skills can lead to successful results by ensuring that everyone is on the same page and working towards common goals.

Here are some tips for improving your communication skills as a manager.

1. Listen attentively and without judgment.
2. Seek clarification when needed.
3. Use verbal AND nonverbal cues.
4. Avoid making assumptions.
5. Practice patience.

Provide Clear Feedback

It’s not enough to just be a great idea person—in order to lead a team effectively, you need to be able to communicate your vision and give clear instructions. Otherwise, your team will flounder and won’t be able to execute your brilliant plans.

When giving instructions, it’s important to be as specific as possible so there’s no confusion about what needs to be done. This means providing concrete examples of what you want rather than leaving things up for interpretation.

For instance, if you’re tasking someone with writing a blog post, don’t just say “write about XYZ topic.” Give them an outline of what points they should cover and any other pertinent information that will help them complete the task successfully.

In addition to being clear in your expectations, it’s also crucial that you provide timely feedback so employees know how they’re doing and can adjust their behavior accordingly. No one likes surprises (especially negative ones), so aim to give feedback regularly—weekly or bi-weekly check-ins are usually sufficient.

And when giving feedback, always try to be constructive so employees feel motivated to improve rather than discouraged.

Study Human Behavior

How many times have you wished you could read people’s minds?

Whether you’re trying to figure out what your boss is thinking, or trying to gauge how a team member is feeling, understanding human behavior can be extremely helpful.

And while mind reading may not be an actual skill (yet), there are ways to get a better understanding of the way people think and feel.

1. Pay Attention to Nonverbal Cues

Sometimes words don’t tell the whole story – body language can say just as much, if not more. When talking to someone, pay attention to their posture, eye contact, facial expressions, and hand gestures.

This will give you clues about how they’re really feeling (even if they’re putting on a brave face).

2. Look at the Big Picture

It’s easy to get caught up in the details when looking at one specific event or situation but try to step back and observe everything that is happening around you.

After taking this bird’s eye view, go back and focus on smaller, more specific aspects of the problem.

3. Ask Questions

If you are still unsure about a person’s motivation, the best thing to do is ask them directly. Of course, you won’t always get an answer but it never hurts to inquire.

Be Organized and Have an Effective Plan

As a manager, it’s important to be organized and have an effective plan in place. This will help you delegate tasks and communicate effectively with your team.

Having a good plan will ensure that everyone knows what needs to be done and when it needs to be done. This way, everyone can stay on track and work together efficiently.

It can also make it hard to communicate with your team effectively since they won’t know what’s going on or what their role is in the project. Having a plan will help you avoid these problems and ensure that everyone knows exactly what needs to be done.

There are a few key things to keep in mind when creating your plan.

First, you need to make sure that it’s realistic. This means setting achievable goals and deadlines. If you set unrealistic goals, it will only frustrate your team and make them less likely to achieve the task at hand.

Second, you need to be clear about what needs to be done. This includes assigning specific tasks to specific people. Make sure that everyone knows their role in the project so there is no confusion later on down the line.

Finally, once you have created your plan, stick with it! Don’t try to change things up too much or else it will throw off the whole system.

If you’re struggling with being organized or don’t know where to start with creating a plan, there are plenty of resources available online or in bookstores. Take some time to research different methods and find one that works best for you and your team. With a little effort, you can be on your way to being a more organized and effective manager.

Conclusion

So what skills and traits make a good manager?

First of all, a good manager is able to communicate effectively. This means being able to convey messages clearly and concisely, and also being a good listener.

Good managers are also able to build strong relationships with their team members that are based on trust and mutual respect.

Another important trait of a good manager is the ability to be decisive. This means being able to make tough decisions quickly and confidently.

Good managers also have a strong sense of self-awareness. This allows them to understand their own strengths and weaknesses, as well as the impact their words and actions have on others.

Lastly, good managers are always looking to improve and learn new things. They are open to feedback and willing to try new approaches if it means achieving better results.

If you want to be a better manager, check out our resources at Promotable.org. We have everything you need to improve your skills and traits so that you can be the best possible leader for your team. Come see us today and get started on becoming a great manager or leader!