A few days ago I wrote the post “The politicians I like”, in which I reflected on the low level in my opinion of the majority of the politicians who govern us. Reading the post again has made me think about the executives, the managers and the people who have staff under their charge.
The importance of managers is really decisive in the operation of companies and organizations. According to scientific research developed by Gallup, managers can be responsible for up to 70% in the variation of results of a work team.
In addition, nowadays, many companies and organizations are going to have to face great challenges as a result of the health and financial crisis caused by Covid19. And in the face of this complicated environment with such complex challenges, I have reflected on how They should be the managers from my point of view. I present to you what characteristics have the managers I like.
- They think long term. I like managers who think long term. Managers who are able to imagine where they want to place their company, their organization in the future. People who have a vision, which may even be utopian to a certain extent, who are capable of raising their eyes and imagining the medium and long term and know how to communicate it to their collaborators in an effective and motivating way.
- They manage short term well. It also seems to me really essential that managers manage the organization well in the short term. It is useless to have a great vision if it is not accompanied by good day-to-day management. As with soccer coaches happens, it is very good to have medium and long-term projects, but if you lose 3 games in a row, you probably will be fired.
- They listen and they like to be advised. The ability to listen is very important in a manager. The executives I like take time to listen to their customers, their distributors and their suppliers. But above all, they spend time listening to their workers, to know how they are, what challenges they have and what are their opinions on the important issues they are managing. In addition, the managers that I like know how to look for good advisors and are especially advised in areas in which they do not have enough knowledge.
- They take decisions. Good managers take decisions. They don’t wring out or procrastinate. They know how and when decide. In the previous point, I highlighted the need to listen and receive advice … but when the time comes, the manager must take decisions and implement them. They must analyze well but then be courageous in taking decisions.
- They understand that each worker is unique. The managers that I like know perfectly that each worker, each person is truly unique. They appreciate the fact that each worker has their own talents and strengths, their own motivations, insecurities, weaknesses … Good managers know how to understand and manage this diversity and appreciate it as an advantage rather than as a disadvantage.
- Lead by example. Said Albert Einstein that “the example is not the best way to teach, but the only one”. Perhaps I would not say so much, but I am fully convinced that great managers must lead by example. It is useless if they say or ask for something and then do something different or contradictory themselves. Consistency in this sense, is essential.
- They are great motivators: Great managers know how to motivate their workers. To do this, they must understand how they are, what motivates them, what they like … because we all have different motivations. And the performance and happiness of workers change a lot when they are really motivated. As said Zig Ziglar, “People often say that motivation doesn’t last. Well, neither does the bath and for this reason I recommend it daily”.
- They get their team to perform high. For this, they not only know how to motivate as I said in the previous point. They also know how to understand how to organize the team, discover where each worker can offer better performance, seek synergies between them and increase the cohesion of the team.
- They help their workers “grow”. I mean that most of the people in your charge are capable of significantly improving their skills. Not only are they more motivated, but they learn new skills, they have frequent and positive feedback that helps them improve. Great managers leave a great legacy at the human team level when they leave the organization.
These are 9 characteristics of managers that I like. Sure, I could have included some more, but I think these are 9 very important characteristics in a manager. I finish with a quote that I love and summarizes the essence of this post. “Achieving the highest possible return on human capital should be the goal of any manager”. Brian Tracy
