Becoming a good manager requires, adopting to the requirements that change by the day, and embracing new concepts. But the manager still has to get the basics rights. The manager needs to manage their time well, prioritising, and striking a balance, between what is critically important, and what cannot wait, regardless of importance.
The manager also has to communicate well,
with clarity and precision. Today, there is a premium on transparency, honesty, and integrity as well.
Beyond such basics, today's managers are also required, to embrace diversity. A multicultural society is here to stay, and managers need to show empathy, and accommodate talent, from many diverse backgrounds.
Efficiency
The hyper-competitive business environment, existing side-by-side with a recessionary outlook, has forced most businesses to cut corners, and run a tight ship. Managers are under pressure to deliver more with lesser resources. As such, efficiency has become the buzzword that defines success.
Managers would do well to leverage technology to do things better, and faster. They could, for instance, adopt teleconferencing in a big way, to save on the cost of business travel, and also valuable time, that could be spend elsewhere. They could deploy software programmes to automate their routine tasks, freeing them from administrative drags, and allowing them to concentrate on their core competencies. The possibilities are endless.
Managing People
Earlier, autocratic management, or management-by-telling was the dominant management style. In such an approach, the manager keeps a chose control of things, assign specific tasks to employees, and ensure that the employees undertake such tasks, as per the given specifications.
The autocratic approach gave way to the behavioural approach. The behavioural manager empowered the employee by giving them considerable autonomy, and holding them accountable for the results.
Today, the behavioural approach to management remains the most dominant one, but managers have to go much beyond simple empowerment and autonomy, to reap success.
Today's workers are knowledge workers and have a high level of awareness. Managing them requires a servant-leadership style approach, more often than not. The servant leader is a facilitator, who ensures that workers have all the facilities to do their job well, motivate them to perform to their potential, and ensure that their own goals and aspirations are aligned with organisational goals.
Competency
Finally, a highly skilled and knowledgeable workforce expect their manager to lead from the front. A good manager leads by example, by walking the talk. Any manager can talk of commitment, dedication, and other desirable traits. The manager who exemplifies such attitudes and behaviour. through their deeds and actions. earns the respect and support of employees.
A good manager has to go beyond being a supervisor, and become a guide and a coach to employees. Today's employees look on their manager for feedback on whether they stand, and expect them to provide them with the adequate support and resources necessary to excel. The onus is on the manager to develop a team, and inculcate the team-members with common shared values.
