Becoming a manager is a significant career milestone that can be both exciting and challenging. It can be a bit nerve-wracking to step into a role where you are responsible for people other than yourself. If you want to be a successful manager, there are certain skills you need to learn that can help you achieve better results. By focusing on growing your aptitude in these areas, you can manage your employees more effectively and efficiently in order to get the most out of them. Consider these essential management skills to keep your career moving in the right direction.
Good Communication
Having good communication skills is probably the most important skill any manager can have. Unless you can properly communicate with your team, the rest of your skills won’t really matter. It is critical that managers be able to effectively communicate their expectations to those they supervise. Your team members should know exactly what you want from them and how to do it. You also want your employees to feel comfortable coming to you with questions, concerns, or suggestions. This helps to build healthy relationships with team members and creates a positive work environment. Finally, managers should be able to communicate across various mediums including email, chat, phone, video, and in person of course.
Conflict Resolution
When you bring people from various backgrounds, interests, and personality types together in an office it can be a breeding ground for conflict and disagreement. Managers should be able to address conflict head on and resolve these issues quickly. Ignoring conflict will only cause frustration and negativity to fester and can lead to bigger problems down the road.
Time Management
Being a manager is a tough job and there are days when you will be hit with unexpected challenges and tasks. Learning how to prioritize your needs and the needs of your employees is one of the first steps in effectively managing your team’s day. Learn to tackle each item as it comes and be able to discern between something of great importance and something that can wait. Having the ability to plan your day in a way that allows you to finish your work faster and with less effort is one of the greatest attributes of successful managers.
Effectively Handling Changes
Most managers are very familiar with their typical day and can do things in an almost automatic manner. This can make them extremely efficient as long as things are going as planned, but what happens when something suddenly changes? A great manager has the ability to adapt and be flexible when something changes. When faced with obstacles, they react quickly and adjust their plan accordingly.
Team Building Skills
Great managers know that they are only as good as their employees so they focus on building a strong team. A successful and healthy team is the foundation of any good company and this only comes through a trusting relationship among colleagues. Therefore, managers who understand the art of team building are more likely to develop employees that are happier, more engaged, and more motivated.