Question

what are the qualities of a good first line manager?

Answer 1

Line Manager

A line manager is the one who supervises the other employees and operations of a business and reports it to the higher ups.They are also known as direct manager. The line or direct manager plays an important role in the operation of many businesses, supervising and managing workers on a daily basis and acting as a liaison between employees and upper management.

The five main qualities of a good line manager are as follows:

1) Self−Management

Good line managers cultivate their potential through self−study and there by gaining more understanding human condition. Through this they are able to develop a style of work in which is beneficial for both themselves and others. self-management is important because it helps drive consistency. Line managers must fight against the urge to be driven by the trials and tribulations in their work and personal lives. By better understanding their emotions, they’re more able to ‘take a step back’ and deliver a consistent experience to their direct reports.

2) Communication Skills

Many problems in management occur by people having different communication styles and thresholds for understanding meaning. These drive different expectations, which can lead to conflict. Communication and listening skills can be improved by; practising active listening, honing your vocabulary and seeking clarity over style. It’s also about being hyper-comfortable with honesty because when we talk ‘around the topic,’ it’s even more likely our meaning won’t be clear.

Good communication is intrinsically linked with humility. If we assume what others are thinking, or going to say, or how they feel, we wait to speak, rather than seek to understand and be understood. Good line managers never assume: they ask questions to get the full picture before making judgments or decisions.

3)Results-driven thinking

As the workforce becomes more diverse e.g an aging workforce, more difference will exist in approaches and behaviors etc. Line managers that have a fixed view on what constitutes a ‘good’ approach will find themselves clashing with direct reports.

When line managers are results-driven and are clear about this, they empower each member of their team to focus on team goals while employing methods and ideas that are most effective for them.

Good line managers value diversity and individuality because they appreciate the performance improvements these qualities can, when nurtured in the right way, bring to teams.

4)Big-picture thinking and prioritization

Jobs have become broader instead of deeper: the standard cliche of ‘doing more with less.’ As such, employees often have never-ending lists of tasks that need to be done. This makes organizational goals and – by extension – team goals crucial to maintaining high productivity. An ability to focus, both in the short-term and long-term, often separates the successful from the unsuccessful companies.

Good line managers never assume: they ask questions so they can get the full picture before making judgments or decisions.

Unless line managers have the ability to think strategically and cascade down organizational goals to team goals, team members will find it hard to prioritize because they won’t know what is most important at any one time.

Industry disruption is making this skill even more important. An organization’s focus can change more rapidly than in the past as it responds to emerging challenges. Therefore, line managers must be able to quickly ascertain what’s important and communicate this to the team.

5) Delegation

This is intrinsically linked to the last skill, big-picture thinking and prioritization. A line manager could be the greatest strategic thinker on earth. However, if they can’t effectively orient their team towards these goals, they are not actually making a difference to performance.

As we discussed in our article on the 5 things line managers wish they’d been told earlier, delegation is a critical line management tool. It allows line managers to:

• Ensure work gets completed in time frames that suit both employee and organization
• Ensure the tasks that get completed are both aligned with organizational goals and empowering to the employee
• Develop employees by stretching their abilities while giving them the support they need to grow

Without the confidence and skills to delegate effectively, being an effective line manager is very difficult, if not impossible.