What makes a good project manager

What Qualities Make a Good Project Manager?

The following post is by Felix Marsh from rabidofficemonkey.com. At Workfront we want to make your job easier, and we think the following tips will be useful to our readers. Enjoy!

A great project manager needs a combination of the following key qualities that are crucial for any truly effective project leader.

Excellent Communicator

We will start off with this one as it is arguably the most important of all. Being able to communicate clearly and effectively when managing any project or team is a skill that is absolutely essential.

Project leaders must be able to communicate their visions and articulate a project’s goal in a way that everyone can grasp for themselves, quickly and easily.

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They must also have the ability to express their expectations in a direct way and give regular, constructive feedback to the team they are managing in order to guide them.

When a project leader is unable to excel in this area and leaves the rest of the team in a general state of confusion and bewilderment, there is little hope of any project ever reaching a successful conclusion!

Honorable

In many ways, the project manager sets the standard for the rest of the team to follow and the best leaders are those who others feel they are able to trust, due to the fact that they consistently behave in an ethical and responsible way.

Actions speak louder than words and consistency in this area is vital. Eric Sheninger, senior fellow at the International Center for Leadership in Education (ICLE) said:

«In my opinion all leaders have one thing in common—they do, as opposed to just talk. Leadership is about action, not position.»

When team members can see that their project leader is 100 percent committed to the project and the team as a whole, they will have greater respect for their project manager and the entire working environment will be a happier and more productive place to be.

Enthusiastic

A pessimistic, negative manager is guaranteed to put any team on a sharp downward spiral.

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The A. A. Milne character Eeyore is a great example of the kind of personality you would never want to see in a project manager. A small pinch of Tigger’s contagious enthusiasm and another of Pooh’s optimism should form the core of any strong project manager’s personality!

Part of being an enthusiastic project manager includes having the ability to motivate your team. Project management experts Steven W. Flannes, Steven Flannes, and Ginger Levin offer this advice:

«Do not assume that what motivates you will motivate them.

«Observe them, consider their personalities and previous work, but most of all, ASK them what turns them on in the professional world. ‘Asking’ gives you important information, but it also creates good will.»

Positive people naturally draw others toward them and this positivity and enthusiasm soon rubs off on others.

Problem Solver

In an ideal world, with efficient planning at the start and a clearly defined goal for everyone to work towards, all projects would work out just the way they were intended to with zero hitches along the way.

As we all know however, life is simply not that straightforward and problems must therefore be embraced and overcome in order to move forward on a project without unnecessary delays.

The onus is not necessarily on the project leader to come up with the right solution to any given problem, (although this would be a bonus) as there may well be another team member with skills that are better suited to dealing with any said issue that may arise.

Eric Morfin, strategic project management consultant at Kepner-Tregoe Associates explains:

«Gone are the days when a lone project manager or problem solver can, after careful analysis, confidently declare that the cause has been found.

«Because problems can rarely be neatly delineated by single functions or operations, it is equally rare that they can be solved by individuals or even functional teams.»

Ultimately, the project manager should be resourceful and creative when faced with problems and focus on identifying the fastest and most effective way to resolve them. In some cases, that may mean bringing together several team members or even multiple teams.

Cool and Collected

Project managers must be able to cope well with stress and pressure when dealing with the numerous issues and obstacles they are likely to be faced with within their role.

When problems occur, budgets are not met, or team members are struggling, a leader must remain cool and calm at all times and ideally hide any signs of pressure they may be feeling from the rest of the team.

Practically minded people take on each challenge as it comes with a logical, methodical approach. Those with a tendency to fold under pressure do not make strong project managers and should steer well clear of this type of role.

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Delegator

A vital part of the project manager’s role is the delegation of tasks to the right individuals.

This involves getting to know a team of people to the point where you fully recognize their personal strengths and abilities and understand what they do best. With this knowledge at your fingertips, you can delegate the right tasks to the right individuals and achieve the best results possible.

A Gallup study found that 90 percent of global businesses that adopted strength-based management practices saw increases in sales, profit, customer engagement, and engaged employees. Clearly, when managers leverage team members’ strengths, everyone wins.

This information obviously takes time to pick up, but many managers have a knack for it.

Being able to hand over a task to someone and walk away knowing that you can trust him to carry it out to the best of his ability frees up a project leader’s time to focus on the other areas requiring their attention.

A project manager who is able to demonstrate to a team that they trust them and have confidence in their abilities will get the best out of their team.

People feel undervalued and patronized when they have someone continually checking up on their work as this implies they are not good enough.

Competent

Perhaps this quality is a little too obvious to list, but what the heck.

Any project manager worth their salt must be good at what they do and demonstrate this ability to their team. If you are leading a team of individuals who perceive you as not knowing your bottom from your elbow, all manner of chaos will ensue.

Being a Good Project Manager Isn’t Easy

Having the theoretical side of project management under your hat is one thing; however, if you know your stuff and are blessed with all (or most) of the qualities on this list you ought to do pretty well!

About the Author:

Felix Marsh is a member of the Agil8 team. They offer the highest quality Agile consulting and training. Agil8 draws on experience working with organizations across all industry sectors over many years and the management and delivery of some of the world’s largest and most complex Agile implementations.

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How To Become A Successful Project Manager

According to the Talent Gap report from the Project Management Institute, the global economy will need 25 million new professionals with project management skills by 2030. There seems to be a talent shortage at present, and this is apparent across all industries, yet salary trends look promising.

So, if you’re considering starting a new career as a project manager, now is an excellent time to take action.

Today, we’ll talk about project management in more detail, why project managers are so important for any project-oriented business, and what you can do to succeed in this role. Let’s get started.

What Is Project Management?

Before we dive deeper into project management, let’s take a moment to clarify what the term «project» means.

Projects can take a day or several years to complete. They can involve many people or just one person. And although projects can be very different, there are certain things they all have in common, for example:

Every project can be divided into five stages:

Now that we know what a project is, it’s easier to understand the concept of project management. Simply put, project management is the process of applying specific skills, knowledge, techniques and tools to successfully lead a project through all the phases outlined above, from start to finish.

There are different ways you manage a project, so let’s discuss some of them.

Project Management Methodologies

Project management methodology is a set of guiding principles and processes for managing projects. It defines how project teams work and communicate. Project managers will work with more than one methodology throughout their career, because different projects require different approaches.

Here is a brief overview of four popular methodologies:

Waterfall

The Waterfall methodology adopts a linear approach to project management. All the steps that are to be taken by the team are planned beforehand, and are then executed sequentially. One task does not start until the previous task is finished.

This method is widely used in manufacturing or for construction projects, where lots of changes are not expected.

Agile

On the contrary, the Agile method is very flexible and changes are welcome, if it means that the overall project is improved. Agile projects are based on iterative short delivery cycles called ‘sprints’. These ‘sprints’ allow teams to better adapt to evolving requirements and to optimize their work as needed.

This approach is often used for complex projects that are likely to change.

Scrum

The Scrum approach focuses on small cross-functional project teams led by a Scrum Master. Work is organized around short sprints and daily stand-up meetings, where team members discuss current tasks and any obstacles that might occur. After each sprint, there is a retrospective meeting to evaluate the work done and to make any necessary changes before starting the next cycle.

Kanban

The Kanban method helps to manage workflow by visualizing projects. Kanban boards consist of several columns, and each column represents a task status: ‘to do’, ‘in progress’, ‘done’, for example. Tasks are moved from one column to another until they reach the ‘completed’ column. It’s a very visual method, so it’s easy to see how much work still needs to be done and what has been finished.

Qualified project managers know the pros and cons of each approach, and can decide which one to choose for a particular project. On that note, choosing a suitable project management methodology helps to use resources, reduces risk and increases productivity.

Now, let’s discuss how project managers can help businesses, what exactly they do, and what skills they must have.

What Does A Project Manager Do?

Project managers oversee projects from start to finish. They are responsible for planning, executing and completing tasks, while working with constraints like time and budget.

These professionals define goals, allocate resources and monitor a project’s progress for a business. They keep track of every detail, communicate with stakeholders and ultimately bring projects to a successful end.

Depending on the nature of the project and the industry, a project manager’s day-to-day tasks may vary. However, their duties and responsibilities typically include the following:

To perform these tasks successfully project managers must have a certain skill set. These include:

Budgeting, risk management, creating project plans, industry-specific knowledge, familiarity with project management tools, and understanding of project management methodologies are the most sought-after hard skills for these professionals.

Soft skills are equally important for success in a project manager role. A good project manager must have excellent verbal and written communication skills, analytical thinking, strong time management skills, negotiation abilities and leadership skills.

So, these are the must-have skills for every professional in this field. But what does it take to become an outstanding project manager?

10 Tips To Become A Better Project Manager

Having analyzed what the best project managers have in common and what they do differently, we’ve put together a list of tips to help you, an aspiring professional, improve your work in this field.

#1 Communicate Like A Pro

Good project managers know how important effective communication is for a project to run smoothly. They’re not afraid to over-communicate to ensure that everyone is on the same page, and they ensure that the instructions they give out are clear.

They are also great active listeners, and know how to create a safe environment where every team member is comfortable enough to share their thoughts and concerns.

Besides, successful project managers don’t underestimate the importance of creating a communication plan that determines where, when, and how each team member can get the necessary information they need to complete a task(s).

#2 Set Expectations

Good project managers know that setting clear expectations is critical when it comes to a project’s success.

If team members only have vague instructions and a basic understanding of what needs to be done, they will inevitably become too frustrated to work and this will reduce their productivity levels.

And if clients have unrealistic expectations about how a project will progress, they will quickly become disappointed.

So, project managers must make sure that right from the start everyone involved has a clear understanding of their role, responsibilities, as well as, the project’s scope and timeline.

#3 Know Your People

Successful project managers know the strengths and weaknesses of each person on the project’s team, and they can leverage everyone’s knowledge and skills to get the best end result.

It’s important because assigning work to an individual who is not well suited to it can cause delays and mistakes. Or, even worse, some tasks have to be redone.

And on the contrary, assigning the right work to the right people ensures that tasks are completed on time, and the project progresses as planned.

#4 Manage Workflow, Not People

Good project managers avoid micromanaging and overcontrolling their team, as they know that will not help the project.

Instead, they focus on improving work processes, creating effective workflows and preventing bottlenecks.

#5 Be Ready For Changes

Successful project managers remember that requirement changes can happen in any project.

In most cases, additional work and extensive documentation updates are needed to implement them. So, these changes must be broken down carefully and inserted into the already planned project schedule and must fit with the budget.

That’s why good project managers always prepare a change management plan that they can refer to, if need be.

#6 Keep Track

Good project managers always keep track of tasks that must happen in a particular order.

This can be anything from receiving approval from another team member or waiting for a delivery before the work can continue. But these tasks must be tracked because without them a project might be delayed and deadlines may be missed.

They must be managed.

#7 Be the Biggest Fan Of Your Team

Good project managers never forget that their job is not only about ensuring that a project is completed on time and within budget. Rather it’s also about motivating their team, encouraging them to perform at their best and mediating wherever necessary.

#8 Be Transparent About ‘Why’

Successful project managers don’t just tell team members what they have to do, instead, they explain why something needs to be done.

They know that when people understand why a particular task is a priority, they are more inclined to complete it as soon as possible.

So, good project managers always do their best to provide clear and complete instructions, and share all the necessary information with their teams.

#9 Make Data-Driven Decisions

Successful project managers don’t take the ‘guesswork’ approach when allocating resources, scheduling work and managing risks.

Instead, they use data from past and current projects to make good decisions. They leverage project analytics because this allows them to see exactly how teams perform, they can predict what is likely to happen, and they can choose the best actions to take.

#10 Never Stop Learning

Good project managers know they need to learn, no matter how many years of experience they have under their belt.

They must read about industry trends, new tools and innovative approaches to managing projects. They seek professional development by completing courses, training programs, and attending conferences.

And they also never miss an opportunity to find out how other successful professionals manage their projects.

Conclusion

Project management is an excellent career choice for those of you who are looking for a challenging, but rewarding job that is never boring, and involves a lot of communication with people from different backgrounds.

Besides, this job pays well and provides plenty of opportunities for career development. Experienced professionals typically move on to better-paid positions, such as program managers, portfolio managers, Chief Operating Officer (COO) or VP of operations.

Sources:Link 1 and Link 2

What Makes A Good Project Manager? 8 Must-Have Skills

What separates a mediocre project manager from a good one?

How do you know if you are a good project manager or not?

Think of a successful project manager this way: they not only have the technical know-how to build a great project; they also know what to do when everything falls apart.

Of course, being a good project manager comes with experience. You have to get your reps in with leadership skills before excelling to the top of project management.

In this post, you’ll see the characteristics and soft skills that make a good project manager.

1. A Good Project Manager Streamlines Communication

No one doubts that communication is important, but oftentimes we do it inefficiently. The Project Management Institute estimates that project managers spend 90% of their time on communication …which is not necessarily a good thing.

That leaves very little time for doing the actual work, reviewing deliverables, tracking resource management and constructing the project plan.

PMI says that if that level of communication continues, “ there is a danger of missing the deliverables or other outcomes.”

Ouch. Can too much communication be bad? Yes, when it’s not systemized or clear or when your “communication” consists of a few unthreaded emails. The ability to communicate makes a huge difference in the success or failure of a project.

A powerful project management tool like ClickUp helps you streamline communication, provides stakeholders/sponsors with updates and clearly delineates when work and tasks are due.

2. A Good Project Manager is Positive About Work

If the project manager feels that the work isn’t reasonable or achievable, how will the rest of the team members feel?

A successful project manager has the ability to understand the organization’s priorities, translate those values to their project team, and connect how they relate to individual projects and tasks. These project managers also work with the team on the strategies to achieve that vision.

To meet the deadlines, due dates and to keep the project on schedule, the project manager should be positive about the work at hand, helping the whole team to achieve.

Balancing positivity with reality about the risk and issues takes intuition and experience, which takes us to the next point:

3. A Good Project Manager Can Solve Problems

This may sound obvious, but a good project manager can solve problems. And better yet, they’re empowered to solve project management challenges. Basic problem solving will involve these five steps.

Those five steps seem simple, but often we don’t take the time to clearly run through these. We may know the problem, but not evaluate from all angles or document the team’s thoughts about what to do next.

This may mean pulling out pen and paper to really focus and think about what happened. Write down each step of the process and jot down ideas about what worked and didn’t work at each stage.

Following this simple problem-solving checklist can elevate a decent project manager into a reliable one.

4. A Good Project Manager is Calm

Is project management a stressful job?

Well, it’s not on a level with being an ER doctor or a policeman. But the project manager has to balance the needs of the project, along with organizational priorities, the team’s output and any personal contributions they must make, too. Not to mention any frustrating elements that may be out of the project manager’s control, like outdated systems or workflows.

This can be stressful.

But a good project manager has the ability to take a step back, analyze the next options and learn lessons even amid the setbacks.

The project manager is the one that must clean up and approach the project again—maybe from a different perspective. But in this case, the project manager has to know what went wrong and not make the same mistake again. A good project manager should be able to pinpoint what went wrong and offer alternative solutions (see point #3).

Maintain your composure and lead well. Collaborate with your team to find the right solution for everyone.

5. A Good Project Manager Delegates Well

Why is delegating well important? A project manager can achieve more. You may be able to slide into the role and contribute for a little while, but eventually, the demands for your time will overwhelm you.

In fact, you will achieve more if you empower people the right away.

To that end, a manager will know the strengths and weaknesses of the people they manage and then utilize and deploy their strengths for increased output.

Using a project management tool like ClickUp helps you delegate with its transparency, reporting, details and commenting feature. And its hierarchy is user-friendly–robust enough for cross-functional teams, but with privacy sharings that can be customized for managers or only select contributors.

6. A Good Project Manager Prioritizes Work

Every item can’t be priority number one. By its very definition, something has to fall to number two. A good project manager will understand how to prioritize the work for the team and then make the right choice.

The key here? Understand the urgent vs. important and cut out the noise. A sponsor or project stakeholder may yell about ASAP, but a good project manager keeps calm and knows how to prioritize what is most important.

Why is this important? Because important tasks add value. It’s the value of the Eisenhower matrix. The Eisenhower matrix is a quadrant-based system where tasks are separated by their importance and value.

After understanding the importance and value of each task, a good project manager will estimate the time involved for each and then rank them by importance from there.

7. A Good Project Manager Collaborates and Listens

At first, I listed “collaboration” and “listening” as two separate skills, but honestly, these two are inseparable.

Collaborate is working jointly and to do that successfully, active listening is imperative. You can’t collaborate without listening and seeking to understand.

If you’re working with a dev project team and the code is breaking down or can’t pass QA, you will want to evaluate the situation before jumping to a conclusion. The initial question or two may not get you to the exact answer you need–instead, you may have to use different approaches to find the solution.

Working together helps you try new things, experiment and find a solution forward.

A good project manager will encourage this team collaboration and create an uplifting environment, rather than isolating each person in their own silo.

Good tools–like ClickUp and these other online collaboration tools–can help you get that work done.

By having a transparent set of projects and tasks, team members can see what they need to do and the dates that they need to have them done by. Good collaboration tools should foster productivity, not detract from it.

8. Don’t forget personal time management:

In addition to the project management skills listed above, above all else, time management may be of most importance. Personal time management techniques could be the top deciding factor in your project.

How you structure and conduct your own day, your to-do lists and meetings all impact the amount of time you and your team members need to do the project.

Plan your time wisely.

These time management tips and techniques will help:

Conclusion

Effective project managers know what it takes to elevate a ho-hum project to a truly successful project. This takes a mix of soft skills, management, and leadership, along with the right technical skillset to prioritize work and make the right decisions.

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What Makes a Good Project Manager?

The usual project management journey starts with initiation and ends with the closing and delivery of a project. The continuation of this cycle is raising the demand for skilled project managers across all industries and around the globe. Businesses are looking for good project managers who can use project management tools to keep all aspects of a project on track. A project manager is a distinct leadership position that requires a particular set of character traits and professional qualities.

Suppose you consider a project manager to be responsible for delivering the full scope of the projects within the pre-defined deadline and within an agreed budget. In that case, you’re only considering a part of the story.

Becoming a good project manager worthy of admiration by your peers often takes more than following a certain project management methodology or framework.

This article’s goal is to highlight a set of qualities you can safely pursue if you’re planning to improve your professional skills as a project manager.

Setting Goals and Priorities for Projects

Not being able to work backward from a specific outcome makes planning and managing any initiative too tricky. It’s essential always to have a distinct goal you’re working towards by making it SMART and defining realistic milestones and frequent checkpoints. By having means to properly execute your projects, measure the progress along the way, and always keep it on track, it’s much easier to know what a successful project looks like.

Maintaining The Process

Regardless of the project management methodology or framework you’re using, it’s essential to make sure you’re applying the same process for every project you’re running. This doesn’t mean that you can apply the same principles to every product or service you’re delivering. It means that you’ll be able to optimize the operations by consistently repeating it and making it better, ultimately removing confusion and making sure the projects run smoothly every time.

Creating Realistic Estimates and Scope

It’s essential to make realistic timelines and estimates. Agreeing to squeeze a six-week project in only three weeks isn’t going to work well for you nor your clients. Instead, you should invest your efforts into presenting and explaining the value of taking the «additional» time.

Good Decision Making

Every big project is a myriad of small but important decisions. One of the most significant qualities of a good project manager is the ability to make good decisions whenever it’s required. Excellent decision-making skills are vital both in professional and personal life, and making good decisions is often a difference between project staying on track or going entirely sideways. Even a minor error in judgment can put the entire project at risk, which means that a good project manager must be capable of quick thinking and decisive action.

Excellent Communication Skills

Project Manager Roles and Responsibilities Cheat Sheet

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Also, a project manager needs to be able to articulate and communicate these ideas so that every team member can quickly and easily grasp them for themselves.

Natural Leadership

Effective project management means having a strong set of leadership qualities that motivates the project team and drives them to optimum performance towards achieving the goals.

Problem Solving

Good project managers often work with a team of experts and are required to handle the issues in the most effective way possible.

While nobody expects you to have an answer for every issue in advance, you should have the skills and the capacity to use your team’s resources to produce an effective response to any problems that unfold on your way to delivering a project.

Ideally, with a good plan and a concrete goal for everyone to work towards, you should see all your projects work out just as intended. However, we all know that’s not always the case.

A cool head when under pressure

Yes, we don’t live in a perfect world where all your projects are on time and within budgets. Every project has it’s own set of problems and obstacles to overcome. A good project manager should be able to have an attitude and leadership to tackle these problems in stride. Leaders often consider these stressful events a challenge and an opportunity to use their skills and knowledge to influence the outcome positively. To achieve this, a good project manager must be level-headed and able to cope with stress and pressure.

Empathy

For a project manager, empathy is very important. It puts you at a vantage position to understand the level of creativity or competence in handling a particular task. That helps to adjust to your level in terms of delegating duties. A good project manager will show understanding and caring for their team and openness towards helping and being helped.

Team building

You want your team to work just like a swiss clock. However, we all know that goal is often unreachable. If your team is not working in unison, the projects will often suffer from various challenges that might result in falling short of your objectives. A good project manager needs to know how to approach each team member and show them the time and the attention they require in order to focus on the positive outcome.

If you want to transform your team from a group of strangers to a single close-knit unit, you must understand the requirements for this shift. And when you do, you can start with the team building activities that will drive you towards a cohesive team.

Maintains integrity

One of the most important things any project manager should always keep in their mind is, it takes their actions to set a particular modus operandi for a team, rather than their words. Good management demands commitment and demonstration of ethical practices.

The leadership or project management depends on integrity represents a set of values, dedication to honesty, and consistency in behaviors with teammates. Integrity is that a good project manager takes responsibility for setting the high bar for ethical actions for oneself, as well as reward those who exemplify these practices. Leadership motivated by self-interest does not serve the wellbeing of a team.

Fundamentals of Agile Project Management

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How to be a better project manager

Once we’ve covered the most important aspects of being a good project manager, you’re probably asking a simple question: Where do I start and how do I become one?

What makes a good project manager

Table of Contents

Who Else Wants To Be A Good Manager In 2022?

“ A good manager is not a person who can do the work better than his men; he is a person who can get his men to do the work better than he can. ” – Frederick W. Smith

Most employees would do anything to earn the opportunity to become a manager. But why? What makes them yearn to earn this tag?

It’s like not preparing well enough for the exam but expecting to take the top spot. They just want to bag the coveted title of a manager without doing the groundwork.

But what makes them yearn to earn this tag? Is it just the respect that comes with the title? Or is it the added responsibility that comes with it? Or, is it simply the feeling of satisfaction in achieving a career milestone?

Well, the answer is all of it. It’s the combination of all of these feelings that pushes us hard to rise above our peers and take charge of one of the most crucial positions in an organization. That said, while the managerial position does have its benefits in terms of career development, it can also be a thankless role.

The reason why I say that is because one of the qualities of a good manager is to keep a fine balance between employees’ needs and requirements, business goals, and their well-being and aspirations. And, that’s easier said than done.

More often than not, managers have to manage so many things at the same time that they experience constant stress. They are held solely responsible for both the success and failure of projects as well as the performance of the teams they are leading. While the entire blame for project failure is placed on the manager, the credit for its success is often given to the whole team. So, if you have just earned this opportunity, you better pull your socks up and do comprehensive research on the qualities of a successful manager. Doing so will help you prepare for challenging (as well as rewarding) times ahead.

5 Mistakes a Good Manager Should Never Make

“ What are the qualities of a good manager that separate him/her from the rest of the pack?” I know what you’re thinking about right now, but have you also spent time figuring out what mistakes to avoid at all costs to be a successful manager?

No? Ok, we will sort this out. Let’s travel back to the time when we started our professional careers. Over the years, we have worked for various organizations and under different people. From all those times, we can easily pick the ones who were not that good with managing people and influencing others. And, we certainly remember those managers who were exceptionally good in their role and inspired us to be a better version of ourselves.

I’m sure most of us also remember our past managers for their good and bad managerial qualities. What was it that we didn’t like or admire about them? Were they poor or good motivators? Were they easy or difficult to access?

We might have varied opinions on our past managers, but the fact is they have all played part in shaping our careers. Make no mistake about it, the managerial role is a demanding job with additional responsibilities. You cannot act or perform the same way in a managerial role as you did as a regular employee.

1. Micromanagement

A survey of Trinity Solutions and published in My Way or the Highway reports that almost 79% of respondents had experienced micromanagement.

Remember how annoyed you used to get when your manager always used to peek over your shoulders at work? Now, remember all the nice things (pun intended) that you uttered in your mouth as you were constantly watched over by your managers many times in a day. The point here is that no employee likes to be micromanaged and a good manager must bear this in mind.

Employees want a certain degree of freedom. They want managers to feel confident in their skills and abilities to perform a given job. Intrusive observations, manipulation, and exhaustive communication send a clear message to employees that managers do not back their capabilities, which can make them feel defeated, paranoid, and unappreciated. No employee can develop his/her skills when managers do not show complete faith in their teams and individuals.

2. Spoon-feeding Solutions

Another essential quality of good managers is that they don’t serve everything to their employees on plates. Rather, they develop and fine-tune their skills in a way that they can resolve the trickiest of situations on their own. That said, some managers have this tendency of over-providing solutions for their teams. They are quick when it comes to offering solutions that their employees can find themselves with more effort than usual.

This negative habit of spoon-feeding solutions prevents employees from doing all the hard work of seeking the best solution themselves. By always helping employees with “the solutions”, managers are not allowing their team members to put their thinking caps on and take ownership of the problem at hand. Managers need not act like a school teacher who is always accessible whenever the team encounters problems.

3. Failing To Define Goals

Poor planning and the inability to define goals do not do your team any good. Some managers fail to define goals for their employees who struggle with their work throughout the day. They have no idea why they’re doing work, or what their work means for themselves and the organization they’re working for. They can’t be productive when they do not have a direction or vision for work.

They also fail to prioritize work, which means they complete projects and tasks in the wrong order. When employees don’t see career growth in their jobs, they tend to switch jobs. On the other hand, goal-setting too can backfire if objectives are overly ambitious and unattainable. Good managers always set attainable goals for employees and reward them for achieving them.

4. Leading With Egoistic Mindset

As the American proverb puts it, “ Arrogance is a kingdom without a crown. ” Hubris has always been one of the main causes of conflict and grief. Arrogant managers think that since they are in charge of their teams, it’s because they are more skilled and competent than others. Such managers tend to show their supremacy to their subordinates from time to time.

They think they have the best ideas and information, and use their position to manipulate others. Many employees express anguish over arrogant, egoistic managers who are unfit to lead. In other words, the inflated ego narrows our vision. We lose perspective and we only hear and see what we want to. As a result, managers lose touch with their team members, which further widens the gap between both sides.

5. Displaying Blatant Favoritism

Being seasoned professionals, we are well aware of office politics and favoritism. It’s disheartening and demoralizing for employees when they already know who’ll be the next person to be promoted to higher positions just because he/she enjoys a close relationship with a manager. Poor managers are quite good at showing who they favor over others, irrespective of an individual’s abilities or lack of them. Certainly, this behavior is not what makes a good manager by any stretch of the imagination.

Managers displaying signs of favoritism at work can disrupt the workplace. This unhealthy practice in the workplace sends the wrong signal to employees, except for those who enjoy the manager’s special attention. People are likely to believe that hard, honest work doesn’t bear fruits because to grow within the organization, a worker would have to earn a place in the manager’s good books.

Now that you’ve read about some dreadful mistakes that should be avoided by managers (both experienced and new), we will now discuss some eminent qualities that good managers have, and aspiring managers must have.

There are countless organizations in history that have fared exceptionally well under good managers. Without an experienced and competent captain to steer the ship, the crew is constantly at the risk of losing direction and encountering several problems.

As John C. Maxwell has put it, “ Leadership is not about titles, positions, or flowcharts. It is about one life influencing another.”

Given below are five key qualities that separate good managers from mediocre and poor managers. The latter can take a leaf out of the book of the former to improve his/her management skills significantly.

9 Must-Have Qualities Of A Good Manager

1. They Align Organizational Purpose With Team Goals

These are times when businesses are undergoing a massive transformation as regulatory changes, competition, and technological innovations are regularly updated. Organizations today need to be dynamic in order to adjust and adapt to the latest developments. Good managers don’t just tell their employees to do tasks; they also tell them why they need to do what they are assigned to do.

Employees who connect their work with the mission of their organization feel their job is more important and their work holds much significance. However, the majority of employees are still unsure about how their work contributes to the “big picture”. Good managers help them understand the value of their work and how it’s vital to achieve organizational goals.

2. They Demonstrate Empathy With Their Team

A study by research firm DDI shows that empathy is one of the main drivers of overall performance amongst managers. Another study by the Center for Creative Leadership (CCI) shows that managers with empathetic behavior toward their team are viewed as good performers by their bosses.

Empathetic managers understand the emotions of their team members. They understand how team members are feeling and this quality enables them to communicate effectively and solve problems right in the bud. As a result, their employees trust them more and managers can build rapport, which fuels team success. Being empathic towards employees equips good managers to form personal bonds with employees and foster long-term relationships with them.

3. They Delegate Tasks Effectively

Good managers delegate tasks and split responsibilities according to the potential and talent within teams. This helps to significantly improve overall organizational efficiency as well as time management. Assigning important tasks also helps team members develop confidence in their abilities, which motivates them further to put in their best efforts.

4. They Set Clear Goals And Expectations

Many good managers use the SMART goal method to define expectations. They also validate their expectations with specific reasons as to how these will positively affect you, your organization, and the employees themselves. When employees understand the reasoning behind the task, they’ll be more compliant and eager to take the required steps to meet expectations.

5. They Make Communication A Priority

Effective communication is the key to not only maintaining amicable relationships in the workplace but also delivering work successfully. Good managers are the first ones to recognize this, and therefore, invest their time and energy in ensuring a smooth flow of communication throughout the project. This is one of the most intrinsic qualities of a successful manager that you’ll not find hard to spot.

From navigating team meetings with poise to providing people with the right direction in the project – a great project manager ensures that things never slip through the cracks. They are not afraid to take the help of the available resources like online communication tools for the same.

6. They Bring Out The Best In Their People

Only 45 percent of employees are completely satisfied with the amount of recognition they receive. Poor managers are biased, but good managers identify and understand the differences that every individual brings, evaluate performance fairly, without prejudice. Best managers always recognize good performance and give credit where it’s due. Even when they identify weaknesses or faults, they criticize constructively so as to make employees realize their mistakes and work hard to correct them.

Good managers make sure they have an effective review process in place to evaluate performance fairly. Thanking your employees for their contributions and rewarding them for the job well done goes a long way in improving their morale. Good managers respect their employees and show them that they are valuable assets to the organization. Even the smallest of achievements need to be celebrated at first. Believe in your team even if no one else does, and you will certainly bring out the best in them.

7. They Leverage The Latest Technology

Smart managers know that technology, like project management software or online collaboration tool, is there to simplify the way they handle their teams, and their teams manage their work. They know that technology has a solution for everything – right from efficient task management and simplified collaboration to effortless reporting and time tracking.

This is the reason they never hesitate to invest in the latest tools. In fact, they are the first ones to look for tech solutions to make life easy for their teams and make them productive. By doing so they are able to not only bring the distractions to a minimum, but also bring the best out of every team member, and that’s the reason why they are loved by everyone.

8. They Set Up The Team For Success

Good managers don’t just inspire their teams to collaborate and work efficiently, they don’t settle until the team reaches the pinnacle of success. To ensure this, they focus on individual performances, while aligning their efforts with the overall team goal.

By bringing together all the aspects of successful team building like communication, collaboration, clarity and trust, they make sure that the team knows the purpose of their efforts. They know that success comes only with collaborative efforts, and that’s exactly what they inspire the team to perform.

9. They Inspire At Every Level

Most importantly, a good manager never fails to inspire others. This inspiration comes at many levels; from boosting the morale of the team when things are not going right to talking it out with individuals when they are facing problems in their personal lives.

The Final Thought

In a nutshell, being a manager is all about handling not just your work but your team with great responsibility. You are expected to deliver the goods as well as command the respect of your team. And a good manager knows how to achieve this. They cultivate happiness at work and encourage every employee to be a better version of themselves.

Good managers positively influence the lives of their team members and help them develop their skills. They groom them for senior roles in the organization in the future. That said, you can’t become a great manager overnight. You need to actively make efforts to improve and be consistent.

So, are you ready to take the steps necessary to become a good manager?

Vartika Kashyap is the Chief Marketing Officer at ProofHub and has been one of the LinkedIn Top Voices in 2018. Her articles are inspired by office situations and work-related events. She likes to write about productivity, team building, work culture, leadership, entrepreneurship among others and contributing to a better workplace is what makes her click.

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