When you’ve been working your hardest at your current job, and you feel like it’s time to step up, management is the clear next step. It’s a chance to show your skills, earn more and be more responsible – with the added bonus of earning some extra income. If you’re looking to advance you career, but aren’t sure what to do, we’ve got everything you need to know right here.
In this post, we’ll be outlining everything you need to know to take the next step. From what great qualities you need to all the skills you’ll need (like to undergo a health and safety training courses). You’ll need a good management training course too! Luckily, you’re in the right place to learn all about management, keep reading to find out more.
Being a Manager
Becoming a manager is all about you. When you’re ready, and when the boss thinks you’re ready. Applying for a management position within your company before you’re ready can be a detriment to your application. However, if you think you’re ready, we’ve got 15 qualities that a good manager should have. How many of these boxes do you tick? We’ve divided these qualities into four sections; Business, Personal, Communication and Relationship. We’ll start with business:
Business Qualities
- You should be organised
The leading quality of anyone in a management position should be being organised. Why? Because not only do you have to manage your own time, but the time of your team as well. You need to make sure you can meet deadlines, balance your work and support others. Whilst many think management is sitting around, it’s a hands-on approach – you need to delegate and support them when they need it.
- You should know when to delegate
Yes, delegating is a key skill of management, but do you know when you should do it? You can’t palm off all your tasks because that makes you look bad to your team and your bosses. You also need to know who can do each job, play to your teams strengths so everything runs smoother.
- You need industry knowledge
Ever had a manager that seems to know nothing? Well, one of the most frustrating aspects for management is being qualified, but not in your industry. A manager should understand the industry they’re in. Luckily, there are specialist management training courses for almost every industry!
- You need to know your place
Whilst being management means you lead a team, it doesn’t mean you’re in charge. A good manager knows their responsibilities and duties, without over stepping their mark with their team or those ‘above’ them in the business’ hierarchy.
Personal Qualities
- You need to be confident
As a manager, you have a lot of responsibility, which means you need to be confident in your role. With the right training, the right person for the job can step up. Knowing more about your role means you’ll be more confident and comfortable in it.
- You need to be calm
Yelling or stressing out your staff is a big no for management. You need to pair your confidence with being calm, in order to deal with stressful situations. Calmness is essential, especially if there’s an accident! You’ll learn how to treat accidents as a manager, as most places require a form of health and safety training from their management.
- You need to be dependable
Reliability is one of the key qualities for management. You need to be not only dependable for your bosses, but your team too.
- You need to be self-motivated
Being a manager isn’t about sitting back and letting others do the work. It’s about knowing your role, duties and having the drive to do your tasks as well as manage a team.
- You need to lead by example
Following the rules, doing what’s right – these are great qualities for management. How can you expect a team to follow you if you’re not acting how you should be at work?
Communication Skills
- You need to have good written and verbal communication
Composing emails, speaking to your team, creating reports; these are just a few things that managers do daily, which means, you need to be able to write and communicate verbally with your team, in a clear and concise manner.
- You need to be able to listen
Listening to the needs of your team is vital for management. If you can’t listen to them, they’ll grow to resent you in your role.
- You need to be constructive
Instead of criticising someone who performs a task wrong, a manager needs to be able to spin a negative experience into one of learning. Because no one prospers without constructive criticism.
Relationship Skills
- You need to respect your team
Being a manager doesn’t make you better – senior yes, but not better. Therefore, you need to appreciate everyone in your team, and everything they do. They must be a mutual respect between both staff and management.
- You need to be a team player
It’s not you and your team. You’re all on the same boat, working to make it float and sail into prosperity. So, work with your team and give credit where credit is due. Too many managers take onboard the credit for work they’ve delegated when it has been a team effort. Be a team player!
- You need to be fair to all
In a management position, you’ll have to be the bridge for problems and concerns, which means you need to treat each individual fairly.
Do you feel you have all of the qualities? Then maybe you’re ready for management! You’ll need the right management training course before you can lead a team, so speak to your boss about the next step in your career!