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Best Practices in Managing Contingent Workers
American Staffing Association
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The Good Manager
Leading, Developing and Troubleshooting | back to tip sheets
It is not an overstatement to say that a manager can make or break a department, even a company. A poor manager can destroy morale, lower productivity, and be an impediment to growth on both a micro and macro level. Good managers, however, can lead a company to triumph. Studies show that a manager’s style figures more heavily than anything else in keeping employees loyal, successful and on board. Optimistic, approachable, action-oriented and confident, the good manager is an informed decision maker, empathetic enabler, and honorable standard-bearer who can bring out the very best in people.
The Qualities that Make a Good Manager
What are the typical tasks of a manager? They generally include the following:
- setting and communicating goals;
- encouraging teamwork;
- facilitating change management;
- exercising discipline;
- hiring and firing;
- mentoring, and
- budgeting.
While performing these various functions, there are some key skills and strategies that can transform a mediocre manager into a star.
- The ability to delegate—Your success as a manager depends upon your ability to delegate intelligently. Delegating involves giving people the authority and the resources to do their jobs. You can’t do it all. And if you try to, your efforts are being wasted. Delegation gets people involved and invested in their company and in their work. It also frees you up for other more important tasks. Remember, performance reviews, discipline, politically sensitive situations or situations that require a personal touch or confidentiality are not activities you should be delegating to others.
- The ability to lead—Leadership requires more than a talent for staying on top of policy and procedures, incentives and deadlines. It means having a forward-looking vision and a talent for unlocking the potential inside your employees—liberating their creativity and resourcefulness. A good manager knows how to set standards and live up to them.
- The ability to communicate— A manager who doesn’t like people, who doesn’t enjoy interacting with them and discovering what makes them tick, has no business being a manager. Availability and genuine interest build trust in people. No one will give you honest feedback or loyalty if you never come out of your office or if you hide behind faceless memos. And a good manager doesn’t require a strategic plan for the next century. He or she simply needs to know what’s happening next week and be able to communicate that information in a meaningful and persuasive way to other people. Make it clear to your employees what constitutes success and how they should measure their achievements.
- The ability to understand interpersonal dynamics— Creating an open environment where people take risks and are not afraid of failure or the potential consequences of failure doesn’t happen overnight. You can get there by being a trustworthy support in good times and bad. Your staff deserves your encouragement and assistance, especially during times of crisis or dramatic change. If you bail on them when the going gets tough, they’re sure to bail on you. And they should be recognized for the job they do, to feel that they are making a contribution and that there is no disconnect between management and the regular Joe. Give people a sense of the importance of their unique contribution—to the company, to the department, and to customers.
- The ability to receive and to respond to criticism—Be receptive to criticism or suggestions. Don’t ask for feedback and then become defensive when you get it, or worse, penalize employees for their honesty. If you aren’t willing to grow and improve, how can you expect any more of them?
Tips for Management Success
- Transition—Being a great employee does not mean you will make a great manager. Understanding people and taking responsibility for group agendas and achievements requires an entirely different skill set. Make sure you successfully make the transition from worker to manager.
- Delegate—This is the #1 reason why managers fail. Delegation gives your employees a chance to develop and spread their wings, while taking some of the pressure off yourself at the same time.
- Communicate—Having the right information and disseminating it effectively and clearly throughout the organization is essential in today’s volatile, quick-changing environment. A good manager talks with his team often and openly, and provides clear instructions that identify desired outcomes. Vague and indirect communications can make employees feel frustrated and rudderless.
- Prioritize—A manager wears many hats—sometimes a coach, sometimes a mentor, sometimes a trusted associate, sometimes a resource for learning and growth. Your employees will need your time and attention in different ways and to different degrees. Make the time for them. They are your most valuable assets.
- Set Clear Goals—Realistic and attainable goals give employees a reason to show up every morning. Without goals and a sense of where they need or want to be in the future, can leave employees feeling aimless and disheartened.
- See the Problems—The ostrich with his head in the sand may feel more serene in the short term, but in the long term it compromises business growth and slowly chips away at morale.
- Recognize Employee Achievements—Find creative and consistent ways of rewarding exceptional accomplishment. A personal note can be very meaningful to an employee who may be feeling a little burnt out and under appreciated.
- Respect Individual Differences—Employees come from a wide variety of cultural and behavioral backgrounds. Managers sometimes fall into the trap of rewarding only those who are most like themselves. Strive for fairness and consistency.
- Actively Learn—Managers, especially those who have experienced success, may be tempted to preserve the status quo at all costs. But this stance simply won’t work in today’s business environment. The best managers are flexible, open to acquiring new knowledge, and willing to toss out old ideas that are no longer working . . . even if they were the ones who came up with them in the first place! Never admitting you’re sorry or were wrong about something shows you lack self-esteem and a respect for fair play. Admitting to a mistake can get things back on track in short order.
- Be Open to Change—Today’s companies must be adaptable, dynamic and pliable. Digging your heels in will not prevent the change; it will just make buy-in and implementation more difficult. Stay open and responsive. Proactively anticipate change and confront it with a forward-looking and optimistic outlook.
- Consider All Alternatives—Is there more than one answer? What are the repercussions of each alternative? Have you looked at every possibility?
- Evaluate Risk—Complex, expensive solutions are no good if the payoff is minimal. What are the costs and benefits? What are the potential drawbacks?
- Make Effective and Timely Decisions—There are times when it is better to simply watch and wait. Action may actually exacerbate the problem situation. It may be time to observe and hold off until a more propitious time to make a change (if one is warranted). However, unnecessarily delayed decisions are no better than snap decisions. Delaying the inevitable will not result in smart decision-making. An expeditious decision gives you more time to correct a situation should your original decision prove wrong, and it allows you to move on to other, more pressing matters. A bad decision leaves a legacy at your company. It can be remembered and suffered from for years to come.
- Look for Solutions, not Bandaids—Piecemeal problem solving and repetitive decisions will probably not result in lasting change. It’s better to implement more broad-based policies and procedures that treat the underlying causes, not just the symptoms of the problem. A good manager wants lasting solutions, not quick fixes.
- Follow-through—Are things going according to plan? A good manager monitors a situation to see how things are progressing. Many times, decision makers are so relieved to have finally made a decision, that once it’s made they simply want to forget it and move on to other things; hence, losing momentum and credibility.
- Respect Your Staff—Don’t galvanize your employees with brainstorming meetings and two-day team retreats and then not act on any of the great ideas that were generated. Nothing will deflate and enervate a staff faster than to have their advice sought and then ignored. Always follow up on what you’ve learned.
And one final thing: try not to lose your sense of humor! No one will remember you for meeting a deadline or creating a cost-cutting budget. However, they will remember how you made their load a little lighter or their job a little more fulfilling. Have fun with your staff. Look for creative ways to break up the monotony and to show your appreciation. Keep it light and playful. Make people WANT to show up for work in the morning!
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