It seems that there is often a disconnect between how leaders see themselves and how team members see their leaders.
Do you think you’re a good leader? Would your employees agree? According to the Chartered Management Institute, the typical answers are: “kind of” and “not at all.”
The study compared a survey of 2,000 managers to the results of a web-based survey taken by 6,000 people. Among the survey respondents, 44 percent of managers considered themselves excellent managers. In reality though only 14% were excellent by their employees standards. While the results aren’t scientific, they do suggest a perception gap when it comes to managers’ people skills.
The elements of good management aren’t rocket science, but they can be hard to follow. Management experts consider these to be the core characteristics of a “good boss”. A good boss…
- Knows How to Listen: You can’t know everything, particularly when it comes to the details of your team members jobs. Your employees are experts in their own areas, whether it’s answering phones or managing entire departments. Don’t ignore them!
- Delegates Effectively: There’s nothing employees dislike more than a micromanager watching everything. It’s a waste of your time too. Give your team the autonomy they need to do their jobs, and they will rise to the challenge. If they can’t, encourage them to seek other employment.
- Communicates Clearly: Of course, you can’t delegate if you don’t make your expectations clear. And offer advice readily when asked.
- Gives Feedback: Your employees want to know not only how they are performing, but also what fair, measurable criteria you are using to evaluate them.
- Encourages Growth: Your star employees aren’t threats, they’re assets, and if you don’t offer career growth opportunities, they will seek them somewhere else.