Habits of Highly Effective Managers

One would think that the second habit of highly successful managers would come naturally, but surprisingly, internal surveys report that many employees do not believe they receive enough praise and support from their managers. Especially not enough positive reinforcement and motivation from a supervisor. Managers are, after all, the people who report directly to the customers and leaders of the company. If you feel you’re not receiving the support and affirmation that you need from your manager, ask yourself: “Is what I’m doing really working?”

Habits are like habits. You can’t just do one and not do another. Yet even though you’ve been fortunate to have learned and perfect a few of your habits, it’s always important to keep on learning and improving them. It is only through constant self-awareness that you will be able to make sure your habits work for you instead of against you. Here are five habits of highly effective managers that are a must for every successful leader.

1. First, every manager has to consciously be aware of the potential for conflict and how to avoid it. Conflicts arise in every organization and some of these come from genuine misunderstandings or fears on the part of management. Others occur because of lack of strategies for dealing with conflict. The goal of the seven habits of highly effective managers is to recognize potential conflicts and potential sources of dissatisfaction and improve their ways of resolving conflict before conflict becomes uncontrollable. This principle applies to all areas of behavior and interaction, not just in work.
2. Second, you must learn to focus on the results that you want rather than on the process by which you get there. You must learn to get things done according to your goals and to focus solely on the end result without giving any thought to the way it got there. The 7 habits of highly effective managers include focusing on the outcome, which will bring you happiness and serenity rather than focusing on the process by which you got there. These habits include delegating tasks and functions to employees, not giving much importance to the process by which you arrived at your destination, and accepting criticism with a positive attitude. By adopting these attitudes, you will find that you are in a position to make the most of your skills and become even more effective.
3. Third, these habits also apply to career development. In this regard, the book discusses eight habits of highly effective managers who have succeeded in their careers. The first step that you need to take when planning to develop into a manager is to choose a field in which you are proficient and begin to work in it. Next, you should conduct a self-assessment in order to determine the areas in which you need improvement. Once these areas have been identified, you can then plan to overcome the barriers to career development. The final step to take when preparing to become a manager is to identify the resources that you will require in order to make the changes that will lead you to your goal.
4. The fourth habit highly effective managers take on board is to provide feedback as soon as they obtain it. As mentioned previously, this is not just important to give someone an idea of where they are going wrong but it is also necessary to get feedback so that the changes can be made. In fact, managers who do not offer feedback are regarded by their subordinates as having an inadequate understanding of what exactly needs to be done to improve performance. Finally, if a manager does not use informal communication such as meetings and newsletters to communicate with employees, then he may well be in for a tough time managing the group. In conclusion, by following these steps, you will find yourself well on your way to success.