Managers may use a variety of styles to effectively manage businesses, organizations, and employees, but there are some important techniques that can make those styles more effective. Effective managing requires keen insight, humility and empathy for directing the actions of others. Learning and applying important management techniques not only enhances the work environment but also may lead to increases in sales and marketing exposure.
Effective management must have an element of organization and structure. Delegation is an important part of organization because there is so much work to do in virtually every business that rarely can one person accomplish all of the work. An effective manager will prudently delegate responsibilities to the proper employees. Also, effective managers are careful not to delegate too much responsibility to one person lest the person cannot possibly accomplish all of the work. Also, a manager must streamline communication structures among departments to ensure that different departments understand what each is responsible for.
Proper planning is twofold. First, planning involves setting long- and short-term goals. Managers must actively engage with their employees to help them set daily and weekly goals that enhance production. Managers must also have a long-term vision of where they would like the company or organization to go. This will typically entail analysis of industry trends, national economic trends, and marketing and pricing strategies. Second, planning helps ensure that a business or organization will have the ability to hurdle unexpected obstacles. There should be a protocol of plans that a manager will have worked out in case of the need for layoffs, reductions in productivity, or even the need for evacuations in case of catastrophic natural events.
Effective managers welcome feedback from both superiors and subordinates. In order to do this properly, managers must be willing to listen to new ideas, complaints, and suggestions. Effective managers also frequently make themselves readily available for consultation with other employees or members of the organization. In addition to being open for feedback, effective managers offer their own feedback to superiors and subordinates. Managers can use a variety of tools to do this through industry seminars, periodic performance assessments, and impromptu consultations withe employees.
Time management is an important management strategy. Successful managers properly and efficiently allocate not only their time but also employees' time. This is a vital component to the manager's responsibilities because a manager must ensure that she gets the most out of her employees while wasting as few resources as possible. Using electronic organizers or personal notepads are a couple of ways to improve time management.
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