Are you ambitious? Are you thinking about taking the next step up on your career ladder? If the answer to both of these questions is yes, then perhaps it is time to consider a transitory move up to a managerial position.

But do you have what it takes? Are you a good management material? Let us delve a little further into the subject and then you can see if you measure up.

Firstly, without going into the technical issues of the departmental aspects of a manager's job, we shall confine ourselves to the qualities that any candidate needs to be able to manage his or her staff, because that is how managers will be judged; on their ability to manage other people, namely the staff working under them. It is a given that the candidate is technically competent. Besides, if the candidate is not technically capable and fully conversant with all of the tasks undertaken by those on the staff, how can he/she understand and manage the work of others. The staff needs to know that their manager fully understands the work that they are being asked to do and indeed is capable of doing it himself/herself, or how else can the manager be expected to manage them?

Without over-stating the obvious, a manger's job is to manage people. That may be his or her only function beyond ensuring that the department meets its collective goals and targets. Some managers however do have another job to do as well. For example a Purchasing Manager may purchase things too, as well as being responsible for the running of the department. Whatever type of management position you may hold, there is one essential art that you must have; that is the art of delegation.

A good manager must also be honest and reliable. This applies both toward his or her staff, or his superiors. From a staff level, they must feel that anything said to their manager will be held in the strictest confidence, with the possible exception of the HR (Human Resources) department. From the superiors point of view they will also need to know that anything you deal with from a commercially sensitive point of view is safe in your hands, and that any targets you agree to make, get accomplished on time and within budget.

A good manager must also be able to both motivate and mentor staff. Motivation is a key in getting any task completed on time and to the expected quality. Motivation is the art of getting people excited about doing a particular task so that they set about it with a will. This means that the manager must be fair in setting tasks that can be achieved, and that praise is given where praise is due.

Mentoring is about coaching your staff. If they are going wrong, or there are better more efficient ways of achieving things, you must be able to explain and to point your staff in the right direction. Just as praising is an important part of motivating, so constructive criticism is an important part of mentoring.

A good manager is worth his weight in gold to both the staff and the superiors. If you have the skills and abilities outlined above, you are ready for your transitory move in a management position. Good luck!

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