How to Become a More Effective Manager

The majority of managers today border on being somewhere between barely satisfactory and Mediocre. Here are the behaviors and personality traits that make effective managers "a breed apart'.

Effective Managers Are Customer-Centric

Skilled managers are first and foremost customer centered. They understand the importance of creating a customer experience that exceeds expectations and produces lifelong highly profitable customer relationships.

This requires a manager to have keen vision and an in-depth understanding of customer needs and wants, as well as how the company and the staff they supervise can assure a highly satisfactory customer experience.

Flexibility Is Essential For Effective Management

Since no two customers are alike, effective managers possess the flexibility needed to deal with different customers with different personalities, needs and expectations. They understand that while there are policies and procedures, there are also "grey areas" requiring compassion, open-mindedness, and very often, just plain old common sense.

Facilitation and Problem Solving

As skilled problem solvers, effective managers become facilitators who open lines of communication, seek innovative solutions and resolve conflicts in a wide range of situations ranging from customer complaints to human resources. In other words, as managers, they are the catalysts who produce positive action resulting in customer satisfaction, profitability and the attainment of other company objectives.

Embracing and Managing Change

Unlike mediocre managers who fear change, effective managers view change as a positive force. They embrace change as an opportunity for growth and innovation. Through effective change management, they produce results exceeding expectations.

Effective Managers Are Effective Communicators

Effective managers are the ones who communicate effectively across the board with their clients, subordinates, peers and superiors ... verbally and in writing. All their communications are concise, clear and direct. This requires the ability to "talk across to" ... not "down to" everyone they deal with.

Beyond Coaching and Motivation

Coaching and motivating staff members are important management skills. The truly effective manager, however, goes even further and becomes a mentor to his or her staff. Through this mentoring process, the manager fosters a high level of personal and professional growth in staff members resulting in better performance, higher productivity and greater customer satisfaction.

Essential Linchpins

Last but not least, effective managers are linchpins that hold the operations of a department or division together and keep things running as smoothly and productively as possible. That's why effective managers will always be in demand ... in every industry ... and in every company.