If you have ever done any kind of Management Training course or have ever looked up the term “what makes a good manager?” then you will most likely will have come across lots of variations of the 3 C’s for Management. Some focus on the organisation, some on staff and some on the character of the Manager themselves.
None of these are wrong, but I feel some are too broad and don’t really explain why each characteristic is important. For me, there are 3 things that a good manager must have and do in order to succeed in the role.
Care
Some would argue this is a bit soft and woolly, but I believe a good manager must care about doing a good job.
In order to succeed, a manager has to model good behaviours and lead from the front, setting standards and maintaining them to the highest level. A Manager cannot expect a team to achieve excellence if they don’t care about achieving it themselves.
Michelin stars are not won in kitchens where the Head Chef doesn’t care about the accolade, because without that Manager, or Leader, it could never be achieved. Some could argue that this is passion, and not caring-but I would disagree. You can care enough to do a great job without being passionate about your job role/company/industry. At least to being with!
My first Management role was on a Holiday Park. I had no interest or passion about Holiday Parks at the time, I just knew I wanted to succeed and do the best job I possibly could. I cared about being praised for doing a good job. I cared about how my team performed and were perceived. My drive to do a good job all came from caring about what it meant to me to do it, it’s that simple.
Communication
Effective communication is essential for all managers, and indeed all staff. Managers must communicate with their teams and set expectations and boundaries. This is true in relation to how you expect staff to treat customers, and the standards to which you expect tasks to be completed. You must be able to explain clearly, without patronising or micromanaging, what it is that you expect to be done and how, to maintain the high standards set by you. Easy, right?
But you also must be able to communicate when things are not being done to that standard. Or when someone is not performing as they should. And this is where most Managers will struggle.
Frustration is often the loudest emotion. Managers to easily get bogged down in the negativity and the most common messages given to teams will be those of what is wrong, what is not being done correctly and what needs to be better. Often this noise drowns out the praise that should be given to tasks, and people, that are performing well. Surprising really when the negativity is (generally speaking) caused by the minority.
I’m speaking in general terms here, but when things don’t go our way, the natural reaction is to question it, try to fix and if it doesn’t work go straight to frustration and temper. This is where a manager must be aware of their communication. Ultimately, they feel the responsibility is on their shoulders to deliver and perform through their team, so frustration and even anger is to be expected. But being aware of these feelings, and directing them in a calm and productive way, will always be more beneficial than shouting, door slamming, sulking, or talking about people behind their back.
I’m not suggesting that addressing someone’s poor performance, or a team’s faults, or bad workmanship must be a conversation full of positive language, or even be gentle in its nature. It does, however, need to be directed to the right people, reinforcing boundaries and expectations and it has to be relevant and proportionate to the problem.
Communicating clearly from the outset, setting boundaries and expectations and then proactively managing those (with both performers and underperformers) is, in my opinion, the key to being a good manager.
Consistency
Possibly the most difficult thing to do as a manager, is to be consistent. Consistently show up on a 10. Consistently deliver the message and standards and consistently drive from the front. Being consistent with how you treat people, customers and staff. Being consistent in setting and achieving goals. Being consistent in how you handle challenges, change and conflict. It’s a minefield.
But imagine being in a team where your manager is unpredictable. Their mood changes day to day. The way they set goals and policies changes on an almost weekly basis and the way that they communicate with you is never the same either. How can you trust this person? How can you work hard for them? What even is the goal?