Qualities of a Good Manager: Testimonials
13 May 2013
Read by 2924 persons
Strong personality but also technical skills.
Mehdi Bennis, CEO of Zone Evénements (event communication consulting agency): You are not born a manager, you become one.
A good manager is above all someone who perfectly masters the business sector of their company and who knows all the stages of production and execution. It is also someone who is as comfortable with human resources as with the financial aspect of their company. A good manager guides their team, meaning that they must be a very good communicator. For me, a bad atmosphere, as well as plummeting numbers, are very significant signs of a management problem; you must know how to react to these signals, have the humility to question yourself as soon as it becomes necessary. In fact, I had coaching two years ago, following the advice of a family member who is himself the director of an SME. I have a very good experience from it. It notably allowed me to take the necessary step back, while asking my teams to evaluate me.
A coach is not there to find the solution for you, but to make you realize what you are doing, to open your eyes, to ensure that you find the solution yourself. In fact, you are not born a manager, you become one. You know, sometimes we get involved in interminable projects. We then become execrable without realizing it and we don't take the necessary step back to become aware of our mistakes. In general, managers are increasingly asked to be coaches for their employees. I think this is a very good thing. However, we are not born coaches. There is training to follow, a way of listening, etc. Being a "coaching manager" is somehow assuming one's responsibilities. For my part, I listen to my team at all times. I cultivate a family spirit; my employees know that they can count on me, and this goes both ways. Empowering each person is very important for their development. I never hesitate to share future projects with them to get their opinion. This allows me to undertake new projects, question myself, or change a strategic direction. The feeling of belonging is very symbolic for me; it is a value to which every manager should get their team to adhere continuously.
William Simoncelli, CEO of Carré Immobilier Maroc: A manager has the same qualities as a coach.
In my opinion, a good manager's duty is to chart a course, the one that leads to success. Managing a team is not easy. That is why a manager must demonstrate various skills, such as listening, motivation, decision-making, communication, and a clear vision of the development of the company or projects. A manager must first focus on quality recruitment and then on continuous and adapted training so that the team is as homogeneous as possible. They must, of course, motivate their teams and above all keep their commitments. They can then evaluate the efficiency of their efforts through customer satisfaction. Moreover, I believe that every decision should be subject to questioning. Of course, without being an obsession, doubt remains the best protection against certainty, which often leads to serious errors, or even strong disappointments. The manager must listen to their teams in order to quickly detect negative signals that can sometimes lead to situations that are damaging for the company, clients, or the employee themselves. An employee's annoyance, a client's reflection, a sigh during a discussion, unusual commonplace behavior can all be warning signs of a conflict or a problem. The qualities of a manager and a coach are very similar.
For my part, on a daily basis, I manage my team in the simplest way possible: with common sense, a desire to carry out projects together, the setting of realistic objectives, positive working conditions, and an adapted remuneration system.
Faîçal Oudmine, CEO of FoudMine Capital Consulting: We must constantly question ourselves.
A good manager is above all someone who unites. They must listen to their team so that everyone finds their place in the development of the company, and they must be fair. A good manager must be able to define a rewarding mission for each of their employees in order to get them to adhere to a common project. It is also someone who establishes a career plan for each member of their team by motivating them and giving them the means to achieve it. In my opinion, when you take your role as a manager seriously, you must constantly question yourself in order to evaluate each of your actions and learn from them.
I also think that the two barometers of a manager should be the quality of the work provided by their team and the working atmosphere. I also think that if a manager fails to unite and motivate their team, they should not hesitate to talk about it. It is neither a shame nor a weakness to ask for advice from members of your team. If the results are still not convincing, maybe they are simply not cut out for this role. As Gustav White so rightly says, "you will never have a second chance to make a good first impression." After all, what legitimacy can a manager claim if they cannot share their knowledge and skills?
Nawal El Kahlaoui, Associate Director of Shop com & the City: A good manager is above all a personality, a temperament.
Being a good manager is being a good conductor, that is to say, knowing what each person should play. A manager is not necessarily someone with a high level of education; it is above all a personality and a temperament. They must be attentive to the market, their field of activity, but above all to their team. A good manager anticipates the reaction of their employees; they must also know how to bring out and make the most of each of them, motivate them, and lift them up. A good manager is someone who unites, who knows how to convince the group to achieve an objective. A manager also knows how to acknowledge mistakes, which obviously includes their own. There is no typical profile of the perfect manager. On the other hand, there are personalities who are more predisposed to lead and others less so, with equal competence.
I also believe that questioning oneself should be almost daily. However, I am not a fan of self-assessment grids, tests, or coaching, for the simple reason that I prefer to experiment in real life and above all rely on my instincts. I don't rule out calling on a coach one day, but I'm not convinced yet. Today, managers are increasingly asked to be coaches, like in sports. But also to be social workers or even psychologists sometimes. Because, unfortunately, we cannot ignore each other's lives; it is this skillful balance that we must know how to achieve, without becoming the office for tears.
It is also necessary to know how to issue reminders, and to remain vigilant about the investment of each person. It is necessary to know how to highlight each of one's employees, and this is not always easy. From the moment people feel at ease (without falling into familiarity), and they feel that the "boss" is fair, I think they can take them very far.
Sonia BLAL.
Lavieeco.com
Posted online May 13, 2013.
Mehdi Bennis, CEO of Zone Evénements (event communication consulting agency): You are not born a manager, you become one.
A good manager is above all someone who perfectly masters the business sector of their company and who knows all the stages of production and execution. It is also someone who is as comfortable with human resources as with the financial aspect of their company. A good manager guides their team, meaning that they must be a very good communicator. For me, a bad atmosphere, as well as plummeting numbers, are very significant signs of a management problem; you must know how to react to these signals, have the humility to question yourself as soon as it becomes necessary. In fact, I had coaching two years ago, following the advice of a family member who is himself the director of an SME. I have a very good experience from it. It notably allowed me to take the necessary step back, while asking my teams to evaluate me.
A coach is not there to find the solution for you, but to make you realize what you are doing, to open your eyes, to ensure that you find the solution yourself. In fact, you are not born a manager, you become one. You know, sometimes we get involved in interminable projects. We then become execrable without realizing it and we don't take the necessary step back to become aware of our mistakes. In general, managers are increasingly asked to be coaches for their employees. I think this is a very good thing. However, we are not born coaches. There is training to follow, a way of listening, etc. Being a "coaching manager" is somehow assuming one's responsibilities. For my part, I listen to my team at all times. I cultivate a family spirit; my employees know that they can count on me, and this goes both ways. Empowering each person is very important for their development. I never hesitate to share future projects with them to get their opinion. This allows me to undertake new projects, question myself, or change a strategic direction. The feeling of belonging is very symbolic for me; it is a value to which every manager should get their team to adhere continuously.
William Simoncelli, CEO of Carré Immobilier Maroc: A manager has the same qualities as a coach.
In my opinion, a good manager's duty is to chart a course, the one that leads to success. Managing a team is not easy. That is why a manager must demonstrate various skills, such as listening, motivation, decision-making, communication, and a clear vision of the development of the company or projects. A manager must first focus on quality recruitment and then on continuous and adapted training so that the team is as homogeneous as possible. They must, of course, motivate their teams and above all keep their commitments. They can then evaluate the efficiency of their efforts through customer satisfaction. Moreover, I believe that every decision should be subject to questioning. Of course, without being an obsession, doubt remains the best protection against certainty, which often leads to serious errors, or even strong disappointments. The manager must listen to their teams in order to quickly detect negative signals that can sometimes lead to situations that are damaging for the company, clients, or the employee themselves. An employee's annoyance, a client's reflection, a sigh during a discussion, unusual commonplace behavior can all be warning signs of a conflict or a problem. The qualities of a manager and a coach are very similar.
For my part, on a daily basis, I manage my team in the simplest way possible: with common sense, a desire to carry out projects together, the setting of realistic objectives, positive working conditions, and an adapted remuneration system.
Faîçal Oudmine, CEO of FoudMine Capital Consulting: We must constantly question ourselves.
A good manager is above all someone who unites. They must listen to their team so that everyone finds their place in the development of the company, and they must be fair. A good manager must be able to define a rewarding mission for each of their employees in order to get them to adhere to a common project. It is also someone who establishes a career plan for each member of their team by motivating them and giving them the means to achieve it. In my opinion, when you take your role as a manager seriously, you must constantly question yourself in order to evaluate each of your actions and learn from them.
I also think that the two barometers of a manager should be the quality of the work provided by their team and the working atmosphere. I also think that if a manager fails to unite and motivate their team, they should not hesitate to talk about it. It is neither a shame nor a weakness to ask for advice from members of your team. If the results are still not convincing, maybe they are simply not cut out for this role. As Gustav White so rightly says, "you will never have a second chance to make a good first impression." After all, what legitimacy can a manager claim if they cannot share their knowledge and skills?
Nawal El Kahlaoui, Associate Director of Shop com & the City: A good manager is above all a personality, a temperament.
Being a good manager is being a good conductor, that is to say, knowing what each person should play. A manager is not necessarily someone with a high level of education; it is above all a personality and a temperament. They must be attentive to the market, their field of activity, but above all to their team. A good manager anticipates the reaction of their employees; they must also know how to bring out and make the most of each of them, motivate them, and lift them up. A good manager is someone who unites, who knows how to convince the group to achieve an objective. A manager also knows how to acknowledge mistakes, which obviously includes their own. There is no typical profile of the perfect manager. On the other hand, there are personalities who are more predisposed to lead and others less so, with equal competence.
I also believe that questioning oneself should be almost daily. However, I am not a fan of self-assessment grids, tests, or coaching, for the simple reason that I prefer to experiment in real life and above all rely on my instincts. I don't rule out calling on a coach one day, but I'm not convinced yet. Today, managers are increasingly asked to be coaches, like in sports. But also to be social workers or even psychologists sometimes. Because, unfortunately, we cannot ignore each other's lives; it is this skillful balance that we must know how to achieve, without becoming the office for tears.
It is also necessary to know how to issue reminders, and to remain vigilant about the investment of each person. It is necessary to know how to highlight each of one's employees, and this is not always easy. From the moment people feel at ease (without falling into familiarity), and they feel that the "boss" is fair, I think they can take them very far.
Sonia BLAL.
Lavieeco.com
Posted online May 13, 2013.
