What skills do good managers possess?
According to the popular blog site The Muse, these are the skills that good managers should have:
- Communication
- Organization
- Planning
- Time Management
- Delegation
- Supervision
- Conflict Resolution
- Problem Solving
- Decision Making
Let’s take a closer look at what skills do good managers possess and why each of these skill sets is important.
Table of Contents
Communication Skills
What skills do good managers possess?
Good communication is key in any work environment. Whether you’re communicating with your boss, co-workers, or clients, being able to effectively communicate is essential for success.
There are many different types of communication and it’s important to know when to use each one.
Verbal communication is great for quick back-and-forth exchanges or sharing ideas aloud.
Nonverbal communication can be helpful for reinforcing what you’re saying verbally or conveying emotions without words.
Written communications are ideal for more formal situations or documenting conversations.
If you want to improve your communication skills, there are a few things you can do:
- Make sure that you’re really listening to the other person not just waiting for your turn to talk.
- Try to avoid distractions so that you can give the conversation your full attention.
- Practice clarifying questions if you don’t understand something that was said.
- Pay attention to your own body language and facial expressions as these can also affect how well you communicate with others.
Organizational Skills
How do you improve your organizational skills? Here are 5 tips.
1. Keep a calendar and use it!
This may seem like an obvious one, but many people don’t actually use their calendars to keep track of important deadlines and events.
Get into the habit of writing down everything that you need to do in a given day, week, or month. This will help you stay on top of your commitments and ensure that nothing falls through the cracks.
2. Create lists…and then check things off as you go!
Lists can be extremely helpful when it comes to staying organized.
Whether you’re making a grocery list or brainstorming ideas for a project at work, getting your thoughts down on paper (or in digital form) can be very liberating.
Not only will this help clear your mind so that you can focus on the task at hand, but it will also give you a sense of accomplishment as you check items off of your list.
3. Put away distractions and make time for focused work sessions
In our constantly connected world, it’s more important than ever to unplug from our gadgets and social media when we need to get something done.
If possible, find a place where you can work uninterrupted for 30-60 minutes at a time.
Turn off your phone, close any tabs that might tempt you to surf the web aimlessly, and put on headphones if needed – whatever helps you get into “work mode.”
Once you’ve got some quality focused time to devote to your task at hand, resist the urge to take constant breaks. Instead, try working for 50-90 minutes before taking a 5-10 minute break to clear your head and switch gears for a while.
4. Delegate and build a threefold system
Delegation can seem daunting if you tend to be a “control freak,” but you have to realize that there are other people in this world who can help you things done just as well as you can – oftentimes even better!
When delegating tasks out to multiple team members, consider building a threefold system consisting of a cycle of follow-up questions that should be sent following the completion of a task in order to effectively communicate the outcome of actions delegated plus helpful feedback for execution next time around.
5. Take regular inventory checks
Knowing what assets/materials are available to use ahead of time eliminates random searches throughout the day which not only disrupts momentum during the task at hand but also causes undue stress levels thinking that an item might have gone missing.
When trying to improve organizational skills, think about what areas tend to cause the most trouble and start from there.
Building good habits takes some effort and time but will make a world of difference in the long run.
Planning and Time Management Skills
Planning ahead can help you figure out the most efficient way to use your time. By taking a few minutes to plan your day, you can avoid wasting time on activities that don’t really need to be done or aren’t productive.
Time management skills also involve learning how to say “no” when necessary. We often take on too much because we feel like we have to do everything ourselves or we don’t want to disappoint others. However, this can lead us into dangerous territory where we’re overworked and stressed out.
Learning how to delegate tasks and set boundaries will help you better manage your time so you’re not stretched too thin.
What skills do good managers possess?
Good managers possess excellent planning and time management skills which they use daily in order to make their workplace run smoothly while avoiding potential problems.
Delegation and Supervision Skills
Delegation involves determining what needs to be done, who will do it, and setting expectations for completion.
It’s important to remember that delegation doesn’t mean simply dumping work on someone else – rather, it’s about giving employees clear instructions so they can complete their assigned tasks successfully.
In some cases, delegation may also involve providing resources or training needed for successful task completion.
Once you’ve delegated a task, your job isn’t finished – you still need to provide adequate supervision.
Supervision ensures that delegated tasks are carried out as planned and gives you the opportunity to give feedback or offer assistance if necessary.
Good supervisors check in with their team regularly (but not too frequently), ask questions about how projects are progressing, and provide guidance when needed without micromanaging every step of the process.
They’re also quick to recognize successes and address any issues that arise along the way in order to establish an efficient workflow moving forward.
While delegation and supervision skills are often thought of as being essential for managers, they’re actually useful for anyone in a leadership position.
By learning to delegate effectively and provide adequate supervision, you can take on more responsibility within your organization while ensuring that tasks are completed efficiently and successfully.
Conflict Resolution Skills
The first step to resolving any conflict is acknowledging that there is one. It sounds simple enough, but so often we try to sweep disagreements under the rug instead of dealing with them head-on. This only leads to resentment and further misunderstanding down the road.
So if you find yourself in a situation where tensions are running high, take a deep breath and be honest about the fact that there is indeed some level of disharmony present.
From there, you can begin working towards finding common ground and coming up with mutually agreeable solutions.
One helpful tip for doing this effectively is called active listening.
Active listening means giving your full attention to the person speaking, rather than formulating your response while they’re still talking (which makes it difficult for them to feel heard).
Instead, really focus on understanding their perspective. Ask clarifying questions if needed, and resist the urge to jump ahead mentally to fix things or come up with rebuttals.
Once they feel like they’ve been truly listened to, then it’ll be much easier for you to start opening up the lines of communication and collaborating on the issue at hand.
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Decision Making Skills
When it comes to what skills good managers possess, decision-making is one of the most crucial.
When faced with a big decision, it’s easy to feel overwhelmed. But if you take some time to break things down into more manageable pieces, it’ll be much less to handle.
Next, allow yourself some time to reflect on what you want and what’s important to you. This means taking a calm and rational approach to your thoughts and feelings surrounding the situation at hand rather than just going with your gut instinct or reacting emotionally.
It can also be helpful to get opinions from others whose perspectives you think might be valuable in informing your own judgment.
Avoid bias as best as possible when making decisions. Bias is when our preconceived notions cloud our expectations instead of looking objectively at all available evidence.
However, sometimes unbiased information may not be available. Varying degrees of uncertainty is always present when dealing with data used for making decisions.
Conclusion
Being a good manager requires a lot of skills. And what skills do good managers possess?
A good manager commands the respect of their team, cultivates happiness at work, and inspires every team member to be a better version of themselves.
Great leaders help their teammates grow and progress in their careers. They help them hone their skill sets and prepare them for leadership roles in the organization.
However, being a good manager takes time and practice. You have to work at it every day.
If you want to be a successful manager or leader, then you need to develop the skills that will help you get there. Promotable.org provides resources that can help you learn these essential skills and put them into practice. Don’t wait any longer – start becoming the manager or leader you’ve always wanted to be today!