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4 Skills That Will Make You a Better Manager

Promotions aren’t about seniority anymore, or even who is best at what they do! Whether you’re a manager now or you want to become one, you’ll need to develop the soft skills that make a strong leader. Working on these four critical areas will help you lead your employees to success.

Leadership. Not everyone is born to lead. A manager’s lack of leadership will create serious problems for their employees, and sooner than later. Fortunately, leadership is a skill that can be developed. Two quick fixes? Lead by example: Model the behavior you want your employees to exhibit. Address problems right away: Propose solutions and implement a game plan to make them happen, don’t just talk in circles and make promises.
Emotional intelligence. It all starts with you! Understanding yourself and your own strengths and weaknesses (perhaps with the guidance of a career coach) will help you build your emotional intelligence, and your abilities to understand, empathize with, and negotiate with others all rely on well-developed emotional intelligence. Employees who feel valued and understood are more loyal and productive.
Constructive feedback. Receiving feedback is as much a skill as giving it! Good managers will know how to deliver the right feedback to their employees, but will also be able to receive and act on feedback delivered to them. Stay humble and take away the most important points in all feedback. Allow time to reflect on yourself, how you are perceived and why, and what you can do about the feedback you receive.
Coaching. Everyone can benefit from a good coach, and as a manager, you are that coach to your employees. What do your employees need to succeed? Whether it’s developing an action plan, facilitating a mentor relationship, or delivering tough love, it’s your job to help your employees reach the next level. To become a better coach, seek out one yourself! You can work with an executive coach or a mentor, your boss, or even a natural-born teacher in your organization, to learn from their skills and direction.

Soft skills are so important in managers because their leadership (or lack thereof) impacts the entire organization. Work hard to develop these skills, and you’ll be ready to confidently lead your brigade!

YES! News

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