The inexperience of a newly recruited manager can lead him or her to make a few mistakes. Managing staff is an art! It requires authority and firmness, but also psychology, tact, listening skills and many other qualities. Rest assured, some effective techniques can be applied, as management is not innate in everyone. Here, we give beginner managers some managerial practices to use and adopt to get off to a good start.
The 6 essential qualities of a good manager
We all know the expression: an iron fist in a velvet glove. It's true that the main role of a manager is to direct a team so that it delivers the work required. The long-term survival of the company depends on it. So he can't afford to be lax or weak.
On the other hand, a lack of flexibility and excessive rigor braces staff and risks provoking protests, often with the opposite effect to that desired.
A good leader is someone who achieves his or her objectives by skilfully dealing with the personality of each individual.
Six qualities are essential to it:
- Be attentive: a manager must look after the individual and collective well-being of his staff, not out of charity, but because he has everything to gain from it. An employee needs to feel listened to and valued in order to stay involved.
- Be open-minded: despite their position of leadership, managers do not hold the absolute truth about everything. It would be a mistake to believe this and close oneself off to employees' opinions, proposals and remarks.
- Self-confidence: a leader must give explicit instructions and ensure that they are carried out. Empathy, listening, open-mindedness, even kindness, are no substitute for firmness. And if an order is not to be taken lightly, it needs to be formulated with great assurance.
- Be calm and composed: keeping your cool in stressful situations, not panicking or getting worked up, sets an example for your colleagues, who will inevitably be encouraged to act in the same way. It's also easier to manage internal conflicts when you remain calm.
- Passion: the love of a job well done is infectious. If managers believe in their abilities, their products and their ideas, and are enthusiastic, they are likely to pass on their passion to the people around them.
- Reliability: nothing's worse than a fickle boss! Contradictory instructions, changes of mind or organization, broken promises - everything is done to destabilize employees and, as a result, demotivate them. The impact on the company can be catastrophic.
10 good management practices to use
It all depends on the company's policy, but as a general rule, a few practices remain constant, whatever the type of business. Here are ten of them:
- Learn to delegate and trust staff: as soon as a company grows, the manager is quickly overwhelmed. It's essential to delegate certain tasks, such as managing expense accounts, or you'll have to give up on growth. What's more, when you give your employees a sense of responsibility, they feel more important within the structure, and their motivation is reinforced.
- Encourage employees by giving them professional opportunities, more autonomy, training opportunities, bonuses, benefits in kind or simply by congratulating them. You have to be able to motivate them in all circumstances, even when they fail. In principle, missteps are not made voluntarily. There has to be room for error.
- To create a good working atmosphere and conditions, not to let conflicts fester, to decide immediately when there is a disagreement or dispute, while remaining impartial.
- Set clear rules from the outset. Before hiring, it's a good idea to think about each job profile. All employees need a minimum of guidance, to know where they fit in and what is expected of them. The manager's role is to put the right person in the right place to optimize everyone's work.
- Set aside time for management issues. All too often, managers focus on production, sales, customer relations, profitability or other areas they consider to be of prime importance. They neglect the human side. This is a mistake. Being a manager means always being aware of what's going on within your team. Organizing meetings or talking to each other frequently can put an end to any tensions without delay. Burying your head in the sand never leads to anything positive!
- Keep a certain distance. An employee is not a friend. Even if being on first-name terms has become the norm in young companies, and everyone dresses casually, never lose sight of the fact that a superior is still professionally superior. He or she must be respected as such. There's nothing to stop you having informal moments, even off the premises, as long as they're balanced with periods of serious work.
- Always do what you say. Being consistent in what you do and what you say naturally inspires respect. When a decision is made, when a directive is given, you must stay the same course without hesitation or turning back. Hence the need to think carefully before giving instructions.
- Lead by example. There's no need to resort to abusive authority. Rolling up your sleeves when necessary is much more effective. Punctuality, friendliness, positive attitude, good organization... the boss must be a role model for everyone.
- Keep your emotions to yourself. A manager doesn't let his stress or worries show. He remains zen and optimistic. Otherwise, he runs the risk of transmitting negative vibes to his team, which would be counter-productive.
- Communicate! Communication is the key to successful leadership. A good leader knows how to get his message across. He adapts his communication to people and situations. He remains as transparent as possible. Gone are the days of the great boss isolated in his ivory tower. Conversely, employees appreciate being involved in the smooth running of the company or in the development of a new project. Listening to their constructive comments can only be beneficial.