But everyone has to start somewhere, and it’s vital you tuck great habits under your belt when you first start out. Being a great manager takes a lot of work but it’s worth it in the end to see your business — and your employees — thrive.
It’s through low levels of unemployment and efficient management skills that New York City’s economy was able to grow by more than 3% in the first quarter this year despite the average American holding more than $38,000 worth of debt.
When you want to follow in NYC’s footsteps, you need to engage in a management style that works. Here are some of the top ways you can become an efficient leader when you enter your first management role.
Emphasize communication in your company
The most successful leaders in your company are good at communicating with their employees. They promote active listening and respond to questions in an informative, helpful manner. They’re also more willing to put the needs of their employees above all other aspects of their company.
This is because happy workers perform to the best of their ability. These dedicated employees are more likely to stay with the company for longer periods of time. It’s estimated that only two in every 10 workers believe that their manager is encouraging them to do their best work. This unfortunate statistic means that up to 80% of employees are not getting the encouragement and support they desire from their management. If you don’t have an open line of communication with everyone in your company, you’ll never excel as a manager.
Invest in the personal and professional development of your employees to encourage them to do their best, even when it seems like your employees are performing admirably.
Prioritize safety
A safe work environment is a happy work environment. You should always equip your employees with the most up-to-date safety procedures pertaining to their job, even if the threat is as simple as a slip and fall. Help avoid these issues by providing safety manuals to ensure every employee knows what to do in the event of an emergency. This includes a fire evacuation plan and a meetup point to touch base with the group.
Even if you think your building isn’t susceptible to theft or fraud, any business might be subjected to potential threats, including crimes as simple as loitering. Your employees will feel much safer entering and exiting the building when they know you’ve installed a quality security system.
This includes installing cameras in parking lots and at key entry points of your business. Obvious cameras are essential in deterring theft from the start, but they also serve as vital pieces of evidence for when something does go wrong. It’s no wonder the global dashboard camera market is expected to grow by 15.3% each year between 2014 and 2020.
This might seem like a small aspect of running a company, but it’s your job as a manager to ensure the safety of your staff. It’s not uncommon for dangerous jobs to have higher employee turnover rates. If these safety systems are already in place, you should still follow up with every employee to make sure they know about these safety precautions and procedures.
Encourage learning and growth
Shooting for a sustainable company should never be the goal of a good manager. When you want to see growth and evolution within your company, it’s up to you to encourage this forward motion.
This includes experimenting on projects, both new and old. You should constantly ask yourself: “What can we do better?”
For some managers, this might involve taking a new class or mastering a new skill. For others, this might mean developing a new product or service of their company. Many managers find that they’re able to connect better to their audience by engaging with their followers on social media or by writing blog content for their website. It’s this kind of out-of-the-box thinking that can encourage your company to evolve and prosper.
But this kind of mindset shouldn’t just pertain to your company’s growth — you should also encourage growth among your employees. Many staff members will flounder unless you outline the feedback/evaluation process with them. When employees know how they can improve from the start, they’ll be more likely to perform to these standards in the future.
Did you know that up to 50% of employees will quit because they hate their manager? Leading a company involves more than just bossing people around. When you want to become a truly admirable manager at your new job, be sure to follow these tips.