There’s always ‘one more thing’ to learn in life, we always have some room for learning no matter what.
No matter how skilled you are at your job, we can always find ways in bettering ourselves. In order to improve, we need to be aware of the areas of improvement that requires our attention.
Continued growth and development are important in any career path we choose. This can be especially true when you are manager, as your success as a leader can impact the overall organization’s effectiveness. It is useful for every professional to self-reflect and look out for improvement areas.
Why is area of development essential for managers?
Continuing to develop skills as a manager can help you to better lead the team, motivate colleagues, practise effective communication, and increase overall team effectiveness. These can benefit and support your advancement in your career.
If you are a business leader looking to improving management skills, here are 10 areas of improvement you would want to consider and might have overlooked at some point.
1.Taking the first step
This quality if considered both bold and challenging at the same time. Taking the first step refers to an individual’s ability to take action without any push. A person who takes initiative are the most ones who are willing to get the job done at any cost.
Here’s the real deal:
- To what extent is the individual willing to go for the task to be done, and would they do it without any help?
- Do they motivate others before taking the decision to take the initiative?
- Do they seem confident or uneasy with completing the task?
2.Problem solving
No matter the position, making sound decisions and solving problems often are significant qualities of effective leadership. Since workplace challenges occur more frequently, this can be a consistent improvement area for a manager. Reflecting on team’s challenges and closely considering the indicators that might pre-empt similar situations in the preceding future is important. Sound decisions need to be made for organization’s overall growth.
Here’s the real deal:
- Does the individual have an established decision-making criterion?
- Are the decisions made timely, or delayed?
- Are the decisions taken in alignment with the organization’s values and objectives?
3.Honesty & Uprightness
Being honest and upfront of what’s right tells a lot about the ethics or morals an individual value. They are crucial components of trust building, and without it even the most capable employees can undermine the organization.
Here’s the real deal:
- Is the individual able to differentiate between right and wrong?
- How are conflict of interests faced?
- Do they follow through the promises made?
4.Objective setting
Any employee with ambitions aspires to learn more and better themselves at every step of their career. They look for opportunities that can help them in personal area of improvement.
Here’s the real deal:
- Are they willing to seek out new opportunities?
- Do they stick to the work given, or go out of the way to learn beyond their domain?
- Do they surpass the bare minimum?
5.Time management
Optimizing the time at work in planning schedules and setting priorities. Work prioritization can save majority of the time and help in taking up new work tasks and learn more.
Here’s the real deal:
- Are the set deadlines realistic, and are met on time?
- Are the tasks prioritized effectively?
- How do they schedule their day to meet the task deadline?
6.Communication skills
Proactive communication is a sign of successful leadership. It can be the most valuable area of improvement for managers and employees too. It is important to evaluate how well your employees receives and relay on information at work.
Here’s the real deal:
- Are these employees open to listening too, or only speak?
- Do they have ability to write and speak fluently?
- Are they transparent about their needs?
7.Relationship-building
Every individual of an organization needs to work together for the success of a company. Each specific skill set is crucial for the smooth running of operations. For this to happen, all the employees and management of an organization need to cooperate with each other and use one another’s strength as an opportunity to create the best out of it.
Here’s the real deal:
- Are they moving out their zone in building relationship with team members, or do they always keep to themselves?
- How do they behave towards a team member in conflict situations?
- Do they practise cooperation during collaboration?
8.Empathy
Owning this soft skill is crucial these days, especially for managers. The most common benefits my practising this skill would be improvement of retention rate. Researches show that majority of the employees surveyed said they are most likely to work with an empathetic employer.
Here’s the real deal:
- Is this individual open to listening other person’s opinion on a situation?
- Are they willing to be emotionally intelligent in understanding their self and others feelings?
- What is their common reaction towards a situation – compassion or criticism?
9.Strategic delegation
Strategically planning and scheduling of tasks more work more effective, and many
successful leaders do so often. Being able to leverage team’s strengths in a resourceful way can be valuable for overall organization’s growth.
Here’s the real deal:
- How good are they at reviewing and delegating daily tasks?
- Are they able to identify employee strengths?
- How do they prioritize tasks in achieving optimum productivity?
10.Adaptability & Flexibility
Every role has its own challenges, and new areas of expansion. This is especially true for start-ups business, where change is inevitable. That is the reason employees and
management are required to be flexible and should be ready to adapt with changing
market trends.
Here’s the real deal:
- How do they react to unexpected changes within the organization?
- Are they willing to adjust with the changing circumstances?
- Do they approach the situation on-hand with open mind?
Its time you make the improvements!
If you found any areas of development then you are on the right path. Every employee needs to strive for improvement and being aware of it is the first step towards success.