The effective manager
By WILLIAM HODGES
At the beginning of one of my supervisory seminars, I give the attendees my objectives for the time we will spend together. Then I ask them to add any objectives that I might not have covered. Unfortunately, most of the people attending do not know enough about the subject to formulate objectives, so I have them do the following exercise. I ask them to list the attributes they feel a good manager will have. We then review those attributes, then any skill not specifically mentioned in my original list is added to what we will work on in the course. Here are a few of the ideas that have consistently appeared on the lists concerning the abilities of a good manager. Even if they were covered in my original objectives but stated differently, this exercise allows the attendees to put them in their own words. They all begin with, “Good managers will…” because that is the way it appears on the form they complete.
1. Good managers will create an open, trusting atmosphere where subordinates feel comfortable making suggestions for change and improvement.
2. Good managers will take responsibility for things that are happening within their departments.
3. Good managers will be willing to make decisions and are quick to solve problems.
4. Good managers will share authority with those who work for them.
5. Good managers will use competition sparingly because they understand competition can be destructive. They will work to build a collaborative atmosphere in the organization.
6. Good managers will work to establish a team spirit that allows each member of the team to feel a sense of ownership in the output of the team.
7. Good managers will develop a reward system that is fair to all members of the team and will administer it in a manner that recognizes not only the achievements, but also the efforts of the team.
8. Good managers will be willing to deviate from past practice when a new or better method appears. They are not frozen to the past.
9. Good managers will exercise self-control at all times. Emotional stability is one of the most important traits good managers can have.
10. Good managers will establish a dialogue with their subordinates through which information can be transmitted in both directions quickly and accurately.
The more I study management, the more I find it interesting that what makes a good boss could fill 50 volumes. Each person I ask will give me a slightly different view of what a good manager will do. It is important, if we hope to be good managers, that we take this simple fact into consideration: No two people are alike, and we must therefore treat each of them as an individual. What we do for one person on our staff may not work for another. Being a good manager is never easy, but the rewards—both monetarily and personally—can be great if you succeed.
William Hodges is a nationally recognized speaker, trainer and syndicated columnist. He also hosts an interview-format television program, Spotlight on Government, on the Tampa Bay Community Network, that airs Mondays at 8 p.m. (Bright House channel 639, Verizon channel 30) and Wednesdays at 7:30 p.m. (BH channel 638, Verizon channel 36). The shows can also be viewed at hodgesvideos.com. Phone: 813-641-0816. Email: bill@billhodges.com Website: billhodges.com.