8 ways to be a better manager
When you think about how to be a better manager, what exactly is on your mind? Are you picturing performance reviews and raises, project management, calendars and meetings? Or do you think about developing talent, creating a fulfilled workforce and inspiring your employees to greatness?
If you’re more interested in the second set of activities, you just may have what it takes to be a better manager.
The best managers aren’t just bosses – they’re leaders. Bosses delegate; leaders inspire. Bosses push employees by making demands; leaders live by example and pull employees into their own powerful orbit. If you want to be a leader, not just a manager, read on.
1. Determine your management style
No manager is perfect. Everyone has faults and makes mistakes. But if you’re wondering, “How can I be a better manager?” you’re already on the path to becoming one: Emotional intelligence and self-awareness are the first steps. You cannot learn how to be a better manager if you’re not aware of your strengths and weaknesses. Take the DISC assessment to determine your own personality and management style, then build upon that to be a better manager.
2. Lead by example
Your company’s core values are its foundation. They’re the reason you do what you do and the reason you’re able to attract raving fan customers. You also need to create raving fan employees, and you cannot expect your team to live up to values that you don’t embrace. Fairness, honesty, hard work – these are all traits that great leaders embody, and they create a “pull” force that draws employees in and inspires them to be better.
3. Communicate
Communication skills top the list for how to be a better manager. Communication doesn’t just mean you write amazing emails or are good at public speaking. It’s about understanding different communication styles so that you can get your message across. It means adapting your leadership style to your employees’ personalities and the ways they interpret information. And it always means being clear, concise and honest in order to build trust in the workplace.
4. Find a connection
Once you’ve determined your own style and the styles of your team, you’re well on your way to making connections and building rapport, two of the top skills for those looking to be a better manager. There’s no need to be cold and distant to your team – in today’s workplace, you’ll get far more results by practicing deep listening so that you can learn about your team and what drives them. Why do they come to work every day? What are they passionate about? These are the insights you can use to inspire them to do great work.
5. Build your skills
Deep listening, connecting, inspiring: these are all soft skills that are vital to discovering how to be a better manager. You will also need hard skills, like time management, prioritization and delegation. That’s where the RPM system comes in. It’s more than a calendar – it’s a way of changing your entire mindset to focus on what’s most important and get more out of each day. Once you align your actions and your goals, it will become easier to be a better manager – of your employees and of your own life.
6. Invest in employees
Company culture has become a buzzword, a shorthand for trendy open layouts, ping pong tables and fridges full of craft beer. Your real company culture is what happens behind the scenes. It means taking care of your employees through traditional benefits like health care and PTO, but also investing in them by providing proper training, opportunities for professional development and the tools they need to succeed. That’s what provides a solid base that you can build upon as you learn how to be a better manager.
7. Nurture talent
Just as everyone has different communication and management styles, all of your employees will have different skill sets and talents. Not all of your employees will be great at sales or have an eye for PowerPoint presentations or excel at numbers, graphs and charts. The key to how to be a better manager is to stop putting all your employees into one box. Recognize their individual talents and offer them the resources they need to develop them. You’ll get a stronger, more well-rounded team and more fulfilled employees.
8. Find a mentor
Every successful business person has wondered, “How can I be a better manager?” Top entrepreneurs and executives turn to executive coaching to give them the extra push they need. As Tony says, proximity is power: “If you want to be successful, find someone who has achieved the results you want and copy what they do.” Mentors and coaches have also been where you are, and they can give you an outside perspective to help you make business decisions and be a better manager.
Ready to become a better manager?
A Tony Robbins Business Coach can help you find the answers to the question, “How can I be a better manager?” and develop your mastery in the office and life.