Ten Qualities That Make a Good Manager
31 January 2007
Read by 2542 persons
There is no perfect manager, but some skills are essential for leadership.
Having a vision, communicating, negotiating, mastering foreign languages... are key assets.
The new manager must also enjoy competition.
It's obvious: we are no longer in a closed economy. Whether we wanted it or not, the country is caught up in the liberal wave. The multiple free trade agreements and the subsequent removal of customs barriers, with the massive influx of foreign products as a result, are ample proof of this. While some bosses resent this, the most reactive managers have been able to take advantage of this opening. Have the former understood that the era of the classic businessman who prospered thanks to the administrative organization of a well-protected market is over? Even in the administration, we talk about objectives, efficiency - not to mention profitability - and skills management. This change has resulted, in most organizations, in the takeover by young managers trained in new methods.
Today, a good manager is someone who enjoys competition - it's the law of the market - and prepares themselves every day accordingly, with a concern for perpetuating their company, or, in some cases, getting it back on its feet. To do this, they need skills. Because, even if management is not an exact science due to exogenous factors that can influence the life of the company, the manager must arm themselves to limit the impact of all contingencies.
Of course, the list of skills of a manager, in a small or large company, is not exhaustive. In addition, it is difficult to find the perfect manager. However, there are essential technical or behavioral qualities to show the right direction, mobilize employees, manage crises, get ideas accepted and find solutions to daily problems.
All skills can be developed
Based on the opinions of management specialists, executives or managers, and on public interventions dealing with the issue, we have identified ten essential skills: knowing how to delegate; mastering communication; being socially responsible; being a good coach; knowing at least one foreign language, English in particular; knowing how to negotiate; knowing how to reward deserving employees; being able to use computer tools; maintaining a network; and finally, being visionary.
This last point is particularly important because a good manager is one who knows how to anticipate, that is to say, to foresee developments and place their pawns before others. Of course, it could be argued that this last quality, not being a technical skill per se and being difficult to acquire simply by exercising power, is not common, and even that it is reserved for rare specimens. As for the other qualities, it is quite possible to develop them if you don't possess them initially.
Conversely, the absence of the various skills mentioned translates for the manager into a handicap whose consequences can be serious for the company. For example, when an internal or external crisis erupts, no one is better placed than the boss to step up to the plate. Hence the need to know how to negotiate and communicate. Moreover, if they don't know how to reward their best employees, the latter will not hesitate to answer the call of those who offer better terms. It will also be difficult for them to find best practices, discover lucrative markets or obtain support on a difficult file if they do not have a network. Regarding computer tools, if they do not master them, they will be as handicapped as a doctor examining without a stethoscope. And that's not all. They must also know how to train, play the role of a coach. As for social responsibility, if they have not themselves converted to this new religion, the funders and other investors will make them understand that it is in their interest to commit to it.
lavieeco.com
Having a vision, communicating, negotiating, mastering foreign languages... are key assets.
The new manager must also enjoy competition.
It's obvious: we are no longer in a closed economy. Whether we wanted it or not, the country is caught up in the liberal wave. The multiple free trade agreements and the subsequent removal of customs barriers, with the massive influx of foreign products as a result, are ample proof of this. While some bosses resent this, the most reactive managers have been able to take advantage of this opening. Have the former understood that the era of the classic businessman who prospered thanks to the administrative organization of a well-protected market is over? Even in the administration, we talk about objectives, efficiency - not to mention profitability - and skills management. This change has resulted, in most organizations, in the takeover by young managers trained in new methods.
Today, a good manager is someone who enjoys competition - it's the law of the market - and prepares themselves every day accordingly, with a concern for perpetuating their company, or, in some cases, getting it back on its feet. To do this, they need skills. Because, even if management is not an exact science due to exogenous factors that can influence the life of the company, the manager must arm themselves to limit the impact of all contingencies.
Of course, the list of skills of a manager, in a small or large company, is not exhaustive. In addition, it is difficult to find the perfect manager. However, there are essential technical or behavioral qualities to show the right direction, mobilize employees, manage crises, get ideas accepted and find solutions to daily problems.
All skills can be developed
Based on the opinions of management specialists, executives or managers, and on public interventions dealing with the issue, we have identified ten essential skills: knowing how to delegate; mastering communication; being socially responsible; being a good coach; knowing at least one foreign language, English in particular; knowing how to negotiate; knowing how to reward deserving employees; being able to use computer tools; maintaining a network; and finally, being visionary.
This last point is particularly important because a good manager is one who knows how to anticipate, that is to say, to foresee developments and place their pawns before others. Of course, it could be argued that this last quality, not being a technical skill per se and being difficult to acquire simply by exercising power, is not common, and even that it is reserved for rare specimens. As for the other qualities, it is quite possible to develop them if you don't possess them initially.
Conversely, the absence of the various skills mentioned translates for the manager into a handicap whose consequences can be serious for the company. For example, when an internal or external crisis erupts, no one is better placed than the boss to step up to the plate. Hence the need to know how to negotiate and communicate. Moreover, if they don't know how to reward their best employees, the latter will not hesitate to answer the call of those who offer better terms. It will also be difficult for them to find best practices, discover lucrative markets or obtain support on a difficult file if they do not have a network. Regarding computer tools, if they do not master them, they will be as handicapped as a doctor examining without a stethoscope. And that's not all. They must also know how to train, play the role of a coach. As for social responsibility, if they have not themselves converted to this new religion, the funders and other investors will make them understand that it is in their interest to commit to it.
lavieeco.com
