4 Things Great Managers Do

You could probably recite qualities of great managers in your sleep, but do you know what great managers actually do? This is the million-dollar question that we should be looking to answer. Little has been said about the thousands of daily interactions that happen between managers and their employees. How can you make those interactions positive and productive so your employees are motivated and maybe even excited to do their work? We have a few insights for you to consider. 

Use Your Emotional Intelligence Skills
Emotional intelligence is the ability to recognize your own emotions and other people’s emotions. This is an important part of professional life — even more so when you’re managing a team. It can help set the atmosphere in the workplace, improve performance, and boost company morale. 

Your employees might not always be comfortable sharing their questions, concerns, or problems with you. Or, they might not be straightforward communicators. Either way, by practicing emotional intelligence you can read between the lines and ensure you’re in-tune with your employees’ needs. If this is an area you don’t feel particularly confident in, check out our Emotional Intelligence Course for female leaders.

Seek to Understand Your Employees
On a similar note, it’s important that you make an intentional effort to get to know your employees on a deeper level. When you truly know your employees, you’re able to manage them more effectively based on their personalities and unique skills. This is something all great managers do. 

You can easily prioritize this by scheduling one-on-one’s with your employees to hear how they’re really doing — let this be a time where they can be vulnerable and share their thoughts, concerns, or questions. 

Holistic Check-In
When you schedule one-on-ones with your employees, be sure it is a comprehensive check-in. Allow them the space to discuss their workload, career goals, current struggles or concerns, and any other professional-related matters you should be in the loop on.

Not only does this help you to be a more empathetic and accommodating manager, but it also gives you insight into why your employees might be acting a certain way. 

Be Their Cheerleader
While you’re responsible for leading your team to produce results, you should also serve as their source of encouragement and empowerment. It’s important to lift up your employees. This will lead to higher levels of productivity and fulfillment in the workplace. 

 Source: https://www.inc.com/the-muse/how-to-become-a-great-manager.html