You may want to improve your management skills to increase your team’s productivity, heighten morale, or qualify for a promotion (and a pay raise) at your company. However, while you may be able to meet challenges head-on, you may have no formal management training.
Alternatively, you might not currently be a manager, but your goal is to become one. So, you are looking for ways to improve your skillset and gain the experience you need to become a company leader in the future.
Management Roles and Responsibilities
Managers typically hold an important spot on the organizational chart. Often, managers are the link between employees and the company leaders, such as the CEO, directors, or owner(s). As such, good managers should communicate upper management’s goals to the workers to understand the big picture and their role in achieving the company’s objectives.
Depending on the company, specific management duties and responsibilities can differ. However, the managers’ roles will generally fall into the following categories:
- Managing processes
- Managing people
- Managing expectations
Company managers are often broadly responsible for conceptualizing and implementing the workflows and processes that must take place for the business to meet its short- and long-term objectives. Managers must also direct their employees to complete projects and tasks and ensure they are correctly done and connected to particular goals, metrics, or outcomes.
Leaders and managers must also manage the expectations of those above and below them in the organization. For example, a manager must understand the company’s goals and explain them to the workers so they know what they must do.
How to Be a Better Manager
Whether you are presently a manager or strive to be one, some tips can help improve your skills in each of the three areas discussed above.
Managing Processes
Processes are the specific actions and workflows your employees and company undertake to reach their objectives. When you manage processes, it is possible to find inefficiencies and quickly address them so your employees can get back on track.
There are several ways company leaders can leverage and manage processes within the organization, such as:
- Practice consistency. If you follow specific processes for various tasks, you can optimize efficiency and profitability. To produce these benefits, you and your employees must consistently follow these processes. Therefore, good managers ensure that everyone on their team understands the procedures. Managers should also explain to workers why they need to follow the processes and how doing so can lead to positive outcomes.
- Don’t be afraid to make changes. If a particular process is no longer working, managers should not be afraid to change it to one that is more efficient. You could also empower your employees to ask questions if they need more clarification on what to do.
- Look for opportunities to innovate. Sometimes, a simple innovation can significantly increase a company’s output and revenues. With that in mind, managers should not hesitate to suggest new innovations.
Managing People
Effective managers need to understand people. These individuals can include their employees, as well as:
- Upper management
- Contractors
- Outside contractors
- Suppliers
Leaders can become more skilled at managing people by:
- Embracing leadership principles. While people often use the terms management and leadership interchangeably, they are very different. For instance, not all managers are leaders. But developing your leadership skills can help you inspire employees to follow your ideas and suggestions.
- Remain flexible. Some managers follow “traditional” and often rigid operating procedures. Yet, while it is wise to have specific guidelines, you should also be flexible. In addition, good leaders should not micromanage their employees as this can harm productivity and morale.
- Motivate employees and team members. If your employees are motivated, they will also likely be more productive and engaged. This can have a direct impact on whether your team attains its goals.
- Manage up. Although good leaders are good at managing their employees, great leaders also manage up the organizational chart. This can help build relationships from one end of the firm to the other.
Managing Expectations
Sometimes, company leaders make requests that are not feasible. When this happens, it is a manager’s job to educate the higher-ups in the company on what is possible, given the particular circumstances and anticipated outcome.
Managers can become more skilled at doing this by:
- Becoming more data-driven. If you must manage a new initiative, your first step should be to determine the metrics that the project may impact. Next, you can leverage data to provide benchmarks throughout the task.
- Focus on alignment. Managers must also ensure that employees understand how their jobs and responsibilities align with the company’s goals and why they are essential.
- Improve your communication skills. Strong communication skills are essential for managers as they can better ensure that employees know what they are tasked with on their assignments.
- Give employees regular performance updates. Managers must provide regular performance updates to employees. Doing so can let workers know whether they are on the right track or if they should make improvements. You should also give performance updates to the company’s top leaders, so they know what to expect. Performance updates can allow you to make any necessary changes if your team is not on track to hit the desired targets.
Do You Want to Sharpen Your Management Skills?
Hands-on experience is critical in becoming an efficient and effective leader. However, gaining this experience can take time. Therefore, it can also be beneficial to have education in your particular field and management training.
If one of your professional goals is to sharpen your management skills, many resources are available, both online and in-person, to help you reach your desired objectives.
