Management 101: 7 Tips for How to Be a Good Manager

Being the boss can be tricky, and it's often hard to create a good relationship with those you're in charge of. In fact, around 76% of job seekers think their boss is toxic.

There are many possible reasons for this. Some of them are likely telling the truth and have a bad relationship with their manager; others may not feel valued enough in their role, and that resentment has festered over time.

Regardless of the many reasons someone might have for not getting along with their manager, it's important to predict and attempt to circumvent these issues!

If you've been wondering how to be a good manager that doesn't have issues with their colleagues, these essential tips will keep working your relationships healthy.

1. Communicate Often and Fairly

It's important to communicate with your team. Don't be the boss who lurks in the background and only appears when there's an issue — make yourself available, and keep the lines of communication open.

It's also important to strike a balance with that communication. 

While you may have to give your team some criticism at some points, it should be done constructively, and you should ensure that you comment on their success more than their shortcomings.

Employees will react negatively to having a manager that only ever talks about where they fell short, and never where they excelled. 

2. Don't Micromanage Your Team

Although it's important to be involved in what your team is doing, you should always avoid micromanaging them.

Hovering over your team members is a big no-no — in fact, you're going to make them think that you don't trust them or find them capable. Being able to let go and step back as they complete a task will give them a sense of empowerment. After all, it's clear you know they can do the job well.

Always keep an eye on what your team is doing and review their work, but perhaps just not at every small step of the way. 

If a team member has proven themselves capable of a task in the past, they can do it again.

3. Be Personal When Encouraging Growth

When encouraging the growth of your team and organization, it's important to take into account its individual members.

One of the best management tips you can bear in mind is to get to know your team. Be aware of what motivates people, and what stresses others out — not everyone is the same.

If you're not sure of how to encourage someone to perform well, ask them. 

4. Be On Your Team's Side

When completing tasks, it's important to be on your team's side. As much as you shouldn't micromanage, you should be involved enough that you help them.

Only 11% of employees think they wouldn't perform as well on tasks without their boss's advice. You have the challenge of making yourself valued by them. Trust them, but offer your own expertise and wisdom: you are, presumably, the manager for a reason!

Make them see you as a valued member of their team as well as the one managing it. Managers have things to learn as much as anyone else. 

If you work in an area where conflicts may happen with others outside of the team — such as customer service — you should also remain on their side as much as possible when an issue arises. Support them when there's trouble.

5. Be Personable and Approachable

If you try too hard to be authoritative and respected, you may miss the mark entirely. No one likes a manager who isn't approachable.

When a manager doesn't seem like someone who can be talked to, resentment begins to bubble. Issues on the team, whether they directly involve you or not, are never communicated to you because no one feels like they can sit down and have an honest conversation.

Make sure the team knows that if there's an issue, they can come to your office and discuss it. You don't have to be their best friend, but you do have to build a good relationship with them.

6. Organize One-on-One Meetings

A problem that often rears its ugly head in teams is people feeling overlooked. Often the achievements of team members go unnoticed in favor of something bigger happening, or someone is causing problems in the team and facing no consequences.

This is why it's important to have one-on-one meetings.

These meetings give you a chance to catch any issues you weren't aware of between team members but more importantly, they give you a chance to acknowledge achievements in a setting where they won't be quickly forgotten. 

Your team members will seriously appreciate it. 

7. Reward Achievements

When it comes to achievements, make sure you actually reward them as much as you can!

You may not have the authority to provide a financial incentive for good work but even if you can't, reward the person by acknowledging the good work and advocating for them where possible.

Even if it's letting someone leave work early when they put a ton of work into a project the week before, the little things really matter and make your team members feel seen and appreciated. 

It's Important to Know How to Be a Good Manager For Your Sake — and Your Team's!

You should know how to be a good manager both for the sake of the team and the organization. People want to leave work feeling fulfilled and if a team is happy with their manager, they're far more likely to put out better work.

It can take some self-reflection, but it's possible for anyone to learn how to be a better manager. Whether you're new at this or have been the boss of a team for years, there are always ways you can improve and help.

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