Good Managers vs Bad Managers: Which one are you?

[Monirul Islam]

As you near the end of your postgraduate study program, and get ready to graduate with your degree in business management; you'll undoubtedly be wondering what you might do – someday – when you have to manage your team of employees.

What kind of a manager will you be? Will your team members enjoy working with you? Or will you ultimately fail to provide them with the leadership they seek?

Will you be a good manager or a bad one?

Knowing the difference
Just as on campus you come across a multitude of teachers, lecturers and professors, so to a workforce comprises of different types of leaders, bosses and managers. Here's what separates the good from the bad:

The Good
A good manager usually has the following traits:

Managing, as opposed to doing – Good managers prefer to get the job done by encouraging the team to perform, as opposed to sidelining the team to get things done themselves
Doing, when called upon – In some cases, good managers won't hesitate to roll up their sleeves and pitch in, for instance, when short-staffed or meeting a tight deadline
Teaching, coaching – When your boss offers to show you the ropes and shares his/her experience with you, you know he/she is one the 'good ones'!
Motivating, leading – Instead of barking orders from behind a glass room, good managers work with teams to ensure they understand why they what they do, and that they do what's right/best for the organisation
Listening, understanding – Good managers tend to listen to what their team has to say about how things are done and will consider that feedback when providing direction
Managing is part art and part science, and good managers have both aspects of the discipline down pat. They'll inspire, discipline, respect, coach, reprimand, acknowledge, encourage and reward the team in measured tones. A lot of these traits come from experience, but much of it can be learned too, through reputable business management studies.

The Bad
It's safe to say that a manager that doesn't exhibit all of the above traits is a 'bad manager'. But there's more:

Micromanaging – Bad managers often like to oversee every step of your job, down to how you staple documents, write your emails or answer the phone!
Egotistical – One hallmark of a terrible manager is that he/she will often have a mean streak, always stoking their ego and running the team down
Selfish – Team accomplishments are usually the result of teamwork, but 'bad' managers have the tendency to own all the successes but are quick to blame failures on the team
Disrespectful – If you are a manager, one way to ensure your team hates you and will do everything possible to undermine your authority, is to treat them with disrespect. Bad managers are disrespectful of their team
Decree oriented – Bad managers 'yell and tell' – often issuing edicts to the team, without seeking team inputs
A poorly managed team is often demoralised, dejected, depressed and disorganised. Since they lack the leadership needed to achieve success, badly managed teams will miss deadlines, deliver poor performance or just outright fail in everything they do.

Create Your Own Style
To be a good manager, even if you have never managed teams before, you must first realise that: The manager can't do it all. He/she is not the mister or miss 'know it all'. It takes teamwork to accomplish success in the workplace, and that's what you, as a good manager, should aspire to.

Collaboration, Consultation and Cooperation are the hallmarks of a good manager. Do your best to cultivate these traits, and you'll easily fit into the ranks of the 'good ones'!

Learning the Basics
While part of what it takes to be a good manager will inherently come from your personality, a lot of it can be learned. Broad-based management programs, such as a Masters in Business Administration (MBA), are geared towards doing just that – teaching students how to be great managers.

Source: kbs.edu.au