What Is Management? - By Marriah Kowalchuk

     To be a manager much is involved, there are pros and cons and things that need to be done such as mastering basic skills such as: organization, people skills, and leadership. To be a manager you need to be able to peaceable and to be a people person or at least be able to work with people, helping them, listening to them, encouraging them, and guiding them. You need to be positive about your work and your employees, for what they see you do and what you say, they as well will do to.

     As manager you need to treat your employees with respect, treat everyone fairly and grant them more responsibility when jobs are done well, this makes them feel worthy and wanting to please and do more. Make sure that your employees have confidence and trust in you as there manager and teacher. Do not talk down to your employees like they aren’t important, and don’t threaten them or use fear to make them do what you want. Be sensitive to their needs and feelings and self worth. Make sure to inspire, and have a good working friendly environment, and help everyone reach their goals.

     Get your employees energized, get them excited and inspired on their work. Empower your employees and make an extra effort as their manager. Work together with your employees, no one can work alone and succeed all on their own. Make sure to support your team, managers to must be the teachers, coaches, colleagues, cheerleaders, and advocates for their staff.

     Be open about the business with all involved, create trust with one another. Make sure to communicate for communication is a vital key for being manager. Let it be known the expectations and goals for the business. As manager it is also your responsibility to praise and give commendation for good work that is done, even with the simple things for it enforces everyone to work harder, it is also your job to enforce discipline and give needed counsel.

     Remember to look at yourself as manager and see what you could work on. Make sure that your business is organized for if you or the business is not, at some point it will all fail. Keep on working, everything is a work in progress, everything can always get better. Work on reachable goals for each employee and as a team. Create plans to reach those goals, have confidence that they can get reached and create excitement about it.

     Goals are always needed, they provide a direction to go in, they show and tell how far you have traveled and what has been accomplished, they make overall visions attainable, they clarify every ones role, and gives everyone something to strive for. Have SMART goals: Specific, Measurable, Attainable, Relevant, and Time-bound.

     Encourage employees, know what they need and want from you. Employees need you too; help them learn, to be flexible, praise them, and put out the effort. As a team do a SWOT analysis considering (Strengths, Weaknesses, Opportunities, and Threats), then work on and build on the strengths, eliminate the weaknesses, recognize and use the advantage of opportunities, minimize and eliminate threats.

     As a manager know your market, become familiar with customers buying habits, and things that cause those habits to change, know why customers are loyal to their suppliers and would cause them to change that loyalty to a different supplier. As a manager don’t lower you management skills or your team just because everyone else is doing it, use the way that is productive and works for you.

     You need to as a manager recognize and accept your responsibilities. Face up to your obligations and actions, and work compatibly with others. Use your communication skills, people will not respond well if you are unpleasant, unkind, cold and are distant. Be comfortable talking, don’t make things awkward.  Make sure be committed to your work, keeping up to date on schedules and plans and regularly letting everyone know of any changes or updates.

     As a manager you need to be there for your team and employees. Make sure to be accessible at all times, by email and/or phone. Take time to make sure your employees know you are there for them.  For being a good communicator and manager you need to be good at the different forms of communication such as (1. Listening - 2. Speaking - 3. Writing - 4. Reading)

     As a manager you need to learn to be flexible, for you, the business and your employees. If you have to manage from a distance make sure that you make time for people, schedule time to talk with your employees, make sure that you communicate with your employees and let them know they can contact you without hesitation.

     Nothing is ever perfect so make sure you know the risks that are involved or could develop within your business. As a team write a list of every pro and con, the risks, the problems, the solutions and the back up plans. Be prepared and ready, and know what to do if anything ever goes wrong and why. Things are always on the move and are always changing keep up to date on such changes and be ready to change with them.

     In your business use technology to your advantage, use the internet as a marketing tool, enhance the image of your business, to discover potential suppliers, customers, product and service outlets, and providing up to date information on your products, pricing and services.

     Here are very essentials to be a manager whether you are new or just refreshing your mind to know what’s involved. It a work in progress always and improvement is always a good choice.