TJ,
Great delineation of the skills needed for managers & also great observation regarding self-management. Often managers are merely high-performing technicians who have been suddenly promoted & so this can be a real struggle.
Ryan
As a manager I have found the 2 most important skills are being a good listener and follow through of communications.
A manager that does not listen does not know what his team is thinking.
A manager that can not communicate well with follow up will loose his team on the path to success.
Richard,
Great points & both are a crucial part of communicating. Managers too often think their job is to get others to do things rather than listening to their concerns & ideas.
Ryan
Two that I feel at the top of the list are being consistent in your decision making and communicating well with your team.
Yes, consistency is so crucial & can quickly make or break you as a leader.
I believe the most important skills and qualities starts with you. We need to have consistency, good communication, open listening skills, and a vivid plan so these traits can and will build good relationships and teams to lead.
I love all of the areas you identified, especially your point about the "vivid plan." It is so crucial to have a plan to continue to develop these traits in yourself & others, not just rest on laurels. Great.
Ryan
I feel it's crucial to KNOW your team and what motivates them. Employees are inspired and will work harder for their leaders if they respect and believe in them..
I believe the most important qualities to supervising others are a few. They must have the ability to remain level headed; be able to listen to eveyones points of view (whether they are a team member or a keypoint person). A leader has to have the ability to influence to benifit others as well as the end result.
Some of the most critical skills in supervising others are patience and listening to the need and recommendations of your team. Many times, a lot of needless energy is wasted when you don't take the time to listen to the needs and concerns of your team. Listening to their needs, being patient, and including their input in the majority of the decision making process goes a long way in improving the work environment.
So true, and I have found that if I take the time to clearly state my thoughts & vision this in turn helps the team to know expectations. Which, once they know my expectations they are in a better position to offer their thoughts & recommendations, as long as I am listening.
Ryan
to be able to listen and take critisim and make positive change
Having the patience and understanding of how to assist employees productivity.
I do not believe that there is an overall "Most" important skill a supervisor needs to possess but a combination of several skills which are ever developing with work place challenges. A supervisor needs to balance effective communication skills both written and verbal with the ability to listen and exercise authority - keeping the team on track with objective goals.
Yes and I would say that, in my opinion, these skills must come in this exact order. A leader must demonstrate willingness to listen & take that criticism & only then can she/he help to bring about positive change.
Ryan
Good point. I would almost argue that if there are any most important skills, based on your response, they would be adaptability & learning skills. This way the supervisor can continue to thrive & help their team thrive in a constantly changing environment.
Ryan
There are many skills needed to be able to supervise others. The most important ones to me would be Communication, Interpersonal and Motivational skills.
keeping the mission in mind
I believe the most important qualities as a manager is to understand the duties of the position you are managing and knowing what techniques motivate your team members. A manager that understands the duties of the position can implement effective improvements to the department. Additionally, a manager that is unaware of the motivational factors that work for their team their methods can be counterproductive and lead to resentment by their team.
When you are a manager, you have a team to manage. This may be a cliche but as they say, there is no "I" in "Team". So a good manager has to be selfless as well. As he/she leads the team he/she has to collaborate with the team members as they altogether work towards the direction of the organization.
