Emily Mellwood
What makes a good manager?
It’s not necessarily the same set of traits that make a good employee – generalist or specialist. Many positional roles require fine-tuned technical skills and domain expertise, and while we expect managers to bring some of these “hard skills” to the plate, their soft skills are of much higher importance.
In our 2024 report, The Transformation of Work and Leadership, we learned that 40% of employees want their managers to have better communication skills. Beyond communication, there are 6 more critical soft skills managers need to strengthen at work to best support their teams. Let’s walk through all seven.
1. Communication Skills
Effective communication isn’t just about conveying information; it’s about creating a dialogue. Managers should be trained to articulate the organization’s mission clearly, alongside how each team member’s work contributes to it. Fostering an environment where employees feel comfortable discussing challenges and successes is essential to business success. Training in active listening techniques can help managers understand their team’s perspectives and build stronger relationships.
2. Flexibility
Employees appreciate managers who can adapt to new situations and adjust their approaches based on team needs.
Training in flexibility can help managers learn how to pivot strategies, accommodate diverse working styles, and respond to unexpected challenges. This adaptability not only enhances team morale but also encourages innovation and resilience.
3. Motivation techniques
Motivating employees is a critical aspect of effective management. With 28% of employees indicating a need for improvement in this area, managers should be trained in various motivation techniques. This includes understanding intrinsic and extrinsic motivators, setting achievable goals, and recognizing individual contributions. By fostering a motivating environment, managers can inspire their teams to perform at their best and remain engaged in their work.
4. Decision-making skills
Effective decision-making is crucial for managers, impacting team direction and outcomes.
Training should focus on analytical thinking, risk assessment and collaborative decision-making processes. Managers who involve their teams in decision-making not only enhance buy-in, but also gain the benefit of diverse perspectives, which leads to more informed and effective outcomes.
5. Time management
Time management is essential for productivity and work-life balance. Train managers on how to prioritize tasks and projects, delegate work fairly and plan schedules effectively. By mastering time management, managers can model best practices for their teams, ensuring that workloads are manageable and deadlines are met without compromising employee wellbeing. (Hint: Work-life balance modeling plays a role in this category. Ensure that managers have opportunities to unplug and recharge!)
6. Appreciation beyond achievements
Recognizing employees as individuals beyond their achievements builds trust and rapport. Training should focus on how to foster genuine connections between team members, as well as with other teams and the organization as a whole.
Managers should learn to appreciate their team members’ unique backgrounds, interests and goals. This understanding leads to an inclusive and supportive work environment where employees feel valued for who they are, not just what they do.
7. Empathy
Empathy is a foundational skill for effective leadership, but it isn’t always easy to balance with professionalism. That only makes its presence more important. Managers must be trained to understand and relate to their team members’ feelings and experiences. Empathy training can help managers develop a deeper awareness of their employees’ challenges, backgrounds and situations, which inherently improves relationships and engagement.
Investing in these key training areas is essential for developing effective, supportive managers. By focusing on communication, flexibility, motivation, decision making, time management, appreciation and empathy, organizations can cultivate a leadership culture that prioritizes employee engagement and wellbeing.
Learn more about how Reward Gateway | Edenred can help you make your organization a better place to work with our world-class employee experience platform.
