The role of the office manager is multifaceted and whether you have a staff of one or fifty, there are three key qualities that need to be part of your skill set for your staff to respond in a positive way. This is not to say that you will never have staff issues, because as there is dirt on the ground there will always be people problems at work.
By continually trying to improve your management skills in these three areas you will have a better likelihood of being more successful with those you serve as a manager.
1. Leadership – Having the ability to lead others so that they prosper in their positions with the company. Successful managers raise their staff up, not put them down. They encourage them to do the best they can and strive at being the best at their position. Good leaders find their staff doing good and praise them for it and when correction is needed they do it in a way that the error is understood and training has taken place so that the employee can do better. Good leaders are made, not born, so training never ends for the dedicated leader and it is up to you to continually seek to improve your leadership skills.
2. Communication –“To effectively communicate we must realize that we are all different in the way we perceive the world and use this understanding as a guide to our communication with others” ~ Anthony Robbins As a manager if you can just remember this one thing about communication you will be headed in the right direction every time. Take the time to communicate by taking the time to make sure that you are understood and that you understand others. Also remember, that as a manager you communicate volumes without even saying a word, you are being watched and your behavior speaks loudly.
3. Decision Making – Make your “yes” mean “yes” and your no’s, no’s. Being a wishy, washy manager makes your staff uncertain of which way the team is really going. If you cannot make a decision right away about something make sure you let your staff know why and then get back to them with the answer. Staff members look to their managers for answers and direction, make sure you can make the decisions necessary to keep your team going forward each day. If you cannot then you need to have a discussion with your supervisor or business owner to establish guidelines for you to be able to make the necessary decisions to manage your staff effectively.
The key to becoming a successful manager is continual education and development of your management skills. The link below has some really good information on this very topic.
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