Businesses function like well-oiled machines, and their longevity and overall productivity largely depend on the ability of all parts to work harmoniously and efficiently, come rain or shine. As a result, there exists no cog nor process in the business entity that doesn’t play a role in the greater scheme of things because the effort put in by every employee, team, and critical stakeholder carries its weight in gold when everything comes together.
However, one position that far too many newbie entrepreneurs and newly-made business owners underestimate is the role of managers, thinking that their job description is strictly limited to making orders, supervision, and seeing them fulfilled. In reality, being a manager is more than just a title because great managers have the ability to reinforce business resilience, sustainability and influence the overarching work culture of a company, all characteristics well-suited to thrive in this new normal.
Spearhead Connection And Collaboration Among Teams
First of all, one of the most noteworthy skills of a great manager is their capacity to spearhead connection and collaboration among different teams and departments. You see, no other position can move as quickly and act as a bridge for different people, and managers that understand the impact and utility of this action unlock a workplace’s potential for more productivity by putting the right people together.
- Create Open Lines Of Communication: While the digital space may seem like the best place for accessible communication, this remote and online work environment also carries apparent barriers that not too many people are adept at overcoming. And even if specific teams can highlight what and where to communicate, there’s a level of doubt that prevents effective communication. As a result, good managers help ease everyone into the process and create open lines of communication that all are can utilize.
- Offer Meaningful And Actionable Feedback: One of the hallmark features of a good manager is their ability to offer meaningful and actionable feedback on performance reviews or evaluate projects’ progress. And although some might view this as nothing but a simple assessment, good advice help employees grow and produce better results in the future. In fact, this simple yet impactful notion is what creates excellent customer service scores for all kinds of businesses, from the BPO industry to professional dental practices.
Strong Involvement In Key Decision-Making Processes
In addition to collaborative engagement, great managers are also involved in essential decision-making processes because their input offers a lot of value to key decision-makers who don’t usually get to see the business’s day-to-day operations. Sure, there’s no denying that directors and other senior-level positions carry technical expertise, but none can rival the experience a manager has on the shop floor.
- Serve As The Voice For The Many: Apart from supervising healthy communication between teams and departments, a good manager also serves as the voice for the many so that helpful and worthwhile opinions of the majority also reach key stakeholders. They act as the intermediary between normal employees and executive officers, ensuring that even the concerns of those at lower levels of management are heard and acted upon.
- Provide Key Insights Often Overlooked: The biggest problems start from the littlest things. Because decision-makers are often too busy handling more significant projects and other pressing matters, the responsibility of keeping a careful eye lands on the manager. As a result, during peer reviews, board discussions, and other important meetings, managers can provide key insights that often go overlooked and improve the company’s decision-making with a broader perspective.
Influence Over Motivation And Solidarity
Last but not least, the single most crucial aspect to a great manager is their skill with people management, their influence over the motivation felt in the workplace and the solidarity of all teams. Given the challenges imposed by the global pandemic and the constant disruption of workflows due to economic turbulence, unity and trust-building become all the more important, two things that a good manager is more than capable of achieving for the workplace.
- Confront And Resolve Workplace Issues: No business is exempt from internal problems, and workplace issues will arise when there’s a conflict of interests or disputes in project management. As a result, the manager’s role is to confront and resolve the said issue, helping both parties find a compromise and act as the bridge for both to reconcile and come to an understanding.
- Roadmap Development Opportunities For Employees: Work has become more mentally and physically exhausting than ever before. Even though many employees are working from the comfort of their homes, some still struggle with the remote work environment. However, great managers help overcome this struggle by roadmapping development opportunities for their teams, highlighting their strengths, and providing venues to work on their weaknesses.
Management Is More Than Just A Position
In conclusion, managers are more than just a title, and being able to call yourself part of the senior management is more than just a position. Therefore, it’s about time we move away from these misconceptions, reshape this weakening system, and pioneer the change for better managers in our businesses and companies.
