The managerial position in a company, club, or organization is an extremely sought out position. However, in order to succeed at this level, many essential skills are required to maximize both your productivity and the satisfaction and prosperity of those working underneath you.
The first essential skill to have is to be able to communicate effectively. Being a manager comes with a lot of responsibility, and with lots of different tasks that need to be done, content that needs to be pushed, and calls that need to be made, good communication is at the forefront. Without good communication, tasks get lost and are left incomplete, and employees become confused about their individual responsibilities and as a result stall on their work. Clearly laying out “blueprints” and plans of what your employees need to be doing for the month, making sure that all of your clients have been followed up with, and always making yourself available for a client or an employee to talk and communicate with will greatly improve the satisfaction of your employees and clients, and increase your productivity immensely.
The second essential skill to have as a manager is to be able to organize and delegate tasks effectively. Managers are responsible for completing a multitude of tasks within their departments before certain deadlines, and at times it can seem overwhelming. However, being able to analyze your team’s strengths and weaknesses, set realistic and effective deadlines, and conduct consistent progress checks will help ensure that all of your work, and your team’s work, gets done. By having these good work practices and being responsible, you show your team that you are an effective leader, and you’ll be able to multiply the amount of work you are able to complete by setting a good example.
The third essential skill to have as a manager is to be able to deal with changes effectively. Changes in clients’ and employees’ schedules can mean that certain tasks have to be pushed back or completed ahead of schedule, and accommodating these changes can be very stressful. But, a good manager is able to react quickly and appropriately to these given changes, deal with them in a professional manner, and create new schedules to work around this change. Not getting stressed about the situation and still being able to maximize your team’s productivity with the given changes shows signs of an effective leader and a good manager.
A fourth essential skill for managers is being able to receive and deliver constructive criticism. One of the best ways to achieve growth and improve the quality of work is to receive constructive criticism from others. Putting egos aside and understanding that there are ways you can improve to benefit the company or organization shows humility. Similarly, being able to critique your team shows your need for high-quality work, and the desire to make them the best employees that they can possibly be. With effective feedback, the company will be able to produce its best work and reach its full potential.
