10 ways to... be an effective manager

  1. Know what is going on. Be aware of what is happening in your sector, your organisation and your team. Knowledge gives you the tools to plan ahead, use your resources effectively and make informed decisions.
  2. Create a sense of direction. Establish clear goals and objectives for your employees - and explain how these fit into an overall plan. Be ready to alter goals as circumstances change, but always explain why. Make sure tasks, projects and meetings have a purpose and an outcome: a shared sense of direction is the core of a tightly knit, focused team.
  3. Make decisions. Your staff look to you for leadership, and that means making decisions. Indecisiveness will wear away at your credibility and create uncertainty in your team. By all means consult with your staff before making a decision, but take responsibility for making it yourself.
  4. Lead by example. Whether you like it or not, you set the tone for your team and they will follow your example. If you are slack, they will be slack; if you are sharp, they will be, too. It is up to you to set the standards you want your team to aspire to, and communicate those standards in what you do, what you say and how you say it.
  5. Consult and delegate. You cannot do everything by yourself, so don't even try. Talk to your staff about the business, listen to what they say and take their ideas on board. Pass work on to people who can do it and trust them to get the job done.
  6. Take responsibility for your team. Ultimately, you are responsible for your team's performance. If they perform poorly, that's a reflection on you. So be accountable for their performance and don't pass the buck - blame only creates resentment and division. Accepting responsibility will earn your employees' loyalty and respect.
  7. Ask your staff what they want to achieve. Successful organisations harness the interests and ambitions of their staff, who will work with greater enthusiasm and commitment when they have a personal stake in a business or project. Find out what they want to achieve and give them the means to achieve it.
  8. Praise your staff for work well done. Never pass up an opportunity to commend your staff for working well and always acknowledge their contribution to successful projects. A pat on the back costs nothing, but instils a sense of pride and increases motivation. You might even consider developing some sort of incentive or reward scheme.
  9. Be completely fair. Favouritism, however subtle, creates jealousy and damages morale. It's vital that you don't show preference for one person over another, and you give your attention equally to your staff. This doesn't mean you treat them all in exactly the same way, however: good managers realise that people respond to different incentives.
  10. Deal with errors calmly. If you lose your temper, you lose credibility. Deal with mistakes calmly and without rancour. If you have cause to criticise someone, never do so publicly - it is damaging to individual pride and collective morale.