Key factors to help you be a great manager

There is no one specific blueprint or mold that all good managers will fit into.Managers have different strengths and weaknesses just as the companies that employ them have distinct strengths and weaknesses.What to some may seem like a great manager may be an incompetent employee to others evaluating the manager's performance.But although great managers come in all forms, there are some common characteristics that most of them share.It is how they use or deploy these types of skills that makes each manager unique.

A manager has many responsibilities, of those responsibilities are certain roles that a manager is expected to play.One of these roles is that of a planner.A good manager is one that is organized and provides regular instruction to his employees because he is constantly planning.Companies do not excel by remaining stagnant, a good manager looks for ways to improve the long term outlook of the company by making short term goals that will lead up to the ultimate goals or vision of the company.

Great managers empower their employees with the tools that they need to be successful. A manager would be obsolete were it not for his employees or "subordinates."A good manager recognizes that his employees are co-workers and in no way inflicts feelings of inferiority on them. Instead, a good manager looks to train and educate his employees.If there are employees who struggle, a good manager takes it upon himself to get to the root of the problem and work with the employee for the benefit of the entire team. Good managers are also loyal to the teams that they lead.There are many times in business where a manager will take the fall for the mistake of a member of his team. Being treated fairly and respectfully are things that a manager earns through being an advocate for his employees.

Managers who may be classified as more laid back or less "corporate" still incorporate the ideals that have been discussed, but may also add in a more inspirational overtone to the managerial position.For example, while some managers lead through careful planning, others lead through emotions.Words of inspiration, feelings of accomplishing a vision and attaining goals; these are all tactics used by good managers who focus their management style on vision and values.

Good managers can effectively communicate with the members of his team and provides encouragement where encouragement is needed.A good manager is realistic in that he neither dwells on the emotions nor on the written plans but can adapt to different situations while still remaining persistent in working towards betterment.This adaptation or flexibility is a challenge for many who strive to become better managers.As with many attributes of good managers, flexibility is difficult to learn because every situation where flexibility is needed is unique.Flexibility involves trying things that you may not have tried before and naturally accepting failure is a part of experimenting with that flexibility.The sign of a good manager is not perfection, but rather how he handles failures.

Leadership is a characteristic of a good manager that is often times assumed.But consider how many managers are leaders by title and how many have actually earned the respect of leadership.Just because your job title gives you the right to manage people does not mean that you automatically become a great leader.Great leaders have internalized the characteristics discussed here and have also adapted to the unique situations that are presented by his place of work.A great manager is a person who makes the most of difficult situations while at the same time encouraging his team members and working towards attaining a worthwhile goal.