Are you an Effective Manager?

Business Insights
25/04/2018

To be an effective manger you have to get involved, you need to be aware of what your people are doing and how to encourage them.


Every manager’s job is unique but they all depend upon a basic requirement, the ability to work with people. After all a manager achieves results through the activities of other people, so proactively managing your people, setting goals and targets, and monitoring their performance is a key aspect of the role


Your people are your most valuable asset, but they need constant and consistent training and monitoring. The results and rewards are well worth your efforts because research shows that one of the primary reasons for low productivity is that people often don’t understand what is expected of them.


The most effective managers communicate clearly and look for feedback to ensure that they have been understood. When relaying instructions, recapping meetings or just doling out company updates, they strive for clarity, accuracy and thoroughness in all communications.


It is not enough to just explain something once and then leave an employee to founder, a consistent system of monitoring employee progress throughout the organisation, will very quickly show up who is doing well and who needs support.


It is important that this system of monitoring your team is seen as fair and consistent, not just as “picking on someone” as part of a disciplinary measure. Use the information you gather both to support those who need it, with early interventions such as extra training or counselling, but also to reward efforts and achievements throughout your organisation.


Regular meetings with individuals to assess their progress are some of the most productive ways of drilling down to get an accurate picture of how people are doing and what approach will best motivate a given person. Everyone is different and the effective manager will recognise what each person needs to do his or her best for the organisation.


Asking for opinions and listening to suggestions, will build the employee’s confidence enough for them to voice any concerns and to make suggestions on how a process could be improved. It can be surprising how often a “golden nugget” will come out of these conversations.


Such meetings will also help to build a picture of the individual and their abilities; you may see the potential to develop an individual further by additional training courses or supporting them in gaining extra qualifications, or you may discover leadership qualities or management potential in a previously overlooked member of staff.


Setting goals and personal targets is an established practice, but structure your rewards carefully, the same few individuals will always be the top sales person, but what about all the others, who may be working just as hard?


The top performers should always be recognised and rewarded, but how about introducing rewards, for “most improved”, good timekeeping, best attendance and best customer relationships? A good manager will always find ways of rewarding effort and understands the value of a simple “Well done!” in raising morale.


Reward achievements in front of everyone, it will make the intended recipient feel good and show the rest of the team that hard work is rewarded. Be careful to be consistent and not display any favouritism.


This all works well for teams too, so get them to work together for a team target or goal. Team building exercises can be useful, helping your different staff members to recognise and appreciate each other’s qualities.


While you are in the process of motivating and monitoring your team, the forthcoming Data Protection Act and the GDPR present an opportunity for the thoughtful manager to regularise the way in which all members of the entire organisation process data.


Most data breaches, we are told, are as a result of employee error rather than a deliberate breach, so it will be seen as a positive move improving data security, rather than as a punitive measure, to adjust your company’s IT training to include the provisions of the new legislation when handling sensitive information or information that could be deemed to be “personal”.


It is the function of the manager to see that each team member receives the proper assignment, knows how to execute it, and is committed to the appropriate action. It is also the function of the manager to see that each team member is held accountable and to provide feedback that supports continued success.


An effective manager builds a diverse group of individuals into a smoothly functioning team.