I'll bet most of us have read countless books and articles that claim to provide the most essential characteristics, traits, or behaviors of great managers. We all know that with so many “MOST IMPORTANT” lists, they can’t all be true.
That fact has never seemed to keep me from reading the newest list, claiming to have discovered the latest. Why? Because every list seems to resonate with what I know to be true. Namely, that becoming a good manager differs from situation to situation and requires such a vast array of traits that we may never exhaust discovering and dissecting them all.
But this doesn’t mean that I’ll give up reading these list. On the contrary...each list contains elements of truth we can use to measure ourselves against. We’ll never have all of the desired characteristics, but it doesn’t hurt to try.
So...here’s yet another list: This list was compiled from answers given by students of Kathryn Britton in an article titled Becoming an Excellent Manager: Where to Start and 12 Clues in Positive Psychology News Daily.
Britton began by asking students, “Have you had a manager that you thought was truly excellent?” This was followed by, “If so, describe his or her management style and explain why you found it so good.”
She distilled all comments and, in her words, "Here’s what we settled on:"
- Supports career development. Gives stretch assignments. Mentors.
- Knows how to do the job. Leads by example. Technical competence.
- Cares about people beyond work performance. Helps people with practical needs.
- Gives autonomy.
- Communicates well within team – e.g., gives clear directions.
- Has an open door — is accessible to employees.
- Asks for people’s opinions and acts on the information. Is willing to learn from others.
- Is positive and cheerful. Values humor. Detoxes stress.
- Shares information. Enables employees. Watches for occasions where help is needed and gives it in a way that increases rather decreases employee confidence.
- Bears the brunt of mistakes. Shields employees. Deals well with errors and failures.
- Gives credit for good performance. Gives feedback well.
- Trusts employees and is trustworthy.
Is this the greatest list you’ve ever read? Probably not. But that’s not the point. This list conveys what people say they like in their managers. Mark the ones you already do naturally and pat yourself on the back- Job well done. Now, pick a few more and work on developing them. It may not be “THE LIST” but let’s never stop learning...
Editor's Note: This article was written by Dr. David Mashburn. Dave is a Clinical and Consulting Psychologist, Partner at Tidemark, Inc. and a regular contributor to WorkPuzzle. Comments or questions are welcome. If you're an email subscriber, reply to this WorkPuzzle email. If you read the blog directly from the web, you can click the "comments" link below.
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