Efficient managers see their work in totality. Their abilities to see the “big picture” and envision the final states of their projects guide all of their colleagues to devise plans and implement them more efficiently.
The Ability to Strategize
This ability helps set standards and expectations. It also forces managers to think of more options, “what ifs,” and possible solutions. It helps them counter surprises and challenges. Furthermore, this ability helps managers devise innovative ways to make things right and optimize their resources. An efficient manager will continuously review and reassess his or her resources, operations, and objectives. As a result, organizations are able to reach their goals.
The Ability to Execute
This is necessary to put plans into practice. Execution requires training, tracking progress, making corrections, and continuing to work until objectives have been fulfilled.
The Ability to Build Teams
Because managers are only as good as their teams, they pick the best people. Putting their employees first, good managers train, support, and motivate. To take care of staffs’ needs, managers praise and discipline judiciously. In the presence of efficient managers, team members feel better, more effective, and more creative.
As teams bring results, efficient managers take initiatives to create trust between themselves and their teams. One of the best ways to win team members’ confidences is to share their companies’ goals and initiatives with team members. Good managers consciously enable their teams to collaborate more effectively with each other. By communicating what’s going on, managers instill desires to contribute to success. Though surrounding oneself with high-quality people may make a manager’s life a little more competitive, it also ensures success.
The Ability to Behave like a Leader, Not a Manager
Efficient managers continuously direct their teams and ensure peak performances from them. Quite often, they lead by personal examples of hard work and commitment.
The Ability to Communicate
The absence of good communication skills can defeat any manger’s excellent operational work. Efficient managers build relationships with their teams by continuously interacting with them verbally and non-verbally. Communication is not only confined to talking; in fact, listening attentively to others is equally important. Communication is key to tracking teams’ problems, potentials, aspirations, frustrations, and progress.
The Ability to Be a Learner
Good managers never stop learning. They continue to acquire knowledge of their employers, technologies, processes, and team members. In addition to this, they continue to sharpen their people and operational skills. Mistakes never deter them. In fact, to them, mistakes offer additional perspectives.
Those who seek to be managers in the future need to be sensitive to people and processes. People skills, along with professional skills, can make mangers efficient.
