In Part 2 of this article we review a second set of 5 manager behaviors to determine if a manager reflects effective technical leadership.
We see that manager behavior includes all the tasks accomplished by a single individual (in smaller firms) or several persons (in larger organizations). The objectives of managing are to plan and control their subordinates activities. That leads to the achievement of objectives not possible if those subordinates acted independently.
Effective Technical Leadership in Manager Behaviors
In general, there are five overall manager behaviors that come into play in managing:
- Planning
- Organizing
- Staffing
- Leading
- Controlling
So, managers will engage in most or all the above functions of planning, organizing, staffing, leading, and controlling to one extent or another. How much of each element depends on the organization. The specific needs, methods and practices of the organization, and the level at which the manager sits will determine the extent of each. I.e., lower level managers, might not have too much input on staffing, if this is done further up the chain of command. But, a consistent theme through all levels of management is that managers are required to attain results or outcomes through subordinates.
Let’s review managerial behaviors 6 – 10 to see if your team has effective technical leadership:
6. Workers Look to You for Advice
Are you familiar to your teammates as a subject-matter expert (SME)? Do they frequently chat with you for advice or a solution? If so, you are a strong candidate for leadership. People come to you for your thinking since you give them answers that are well-thought out, timely and honest. This shows that you grasp how your company works and what you need and your team needs to do. With a sufficient amount of experience and knowledge you become a terrific resource. People often come to you for solutions to the challenges they can’t figure out. You need to develop a following among your teammates. Since you are a ‘go-to’ person, your willingness to aid co-workers will attract them to you naturally.
7. Workers Outside Your Team Recognize You as a Good Manager
Other groups of people – even your customers perceive you as a great manager. You’re knowledgeable and you exhibit a good grasp of the company’s business. You do that not only in your core responsibility but also beyond. This will give you a broad perspective on the way things work. And also a feel for how they should be working. When you’re in a leadership position, you need to have a close grasp of what is happening in the market and the potential challenges that are going to confront your company. With a good amount of knowledge of on-the-ground realities, you can ride your company through during challenging times to the top.
8. Newer and Better Ways of Running the Business
Your recommendations can be successful for the company by devising work flows that lead to improvements in the use of resources and time. Now that is a great quality that gets you a promotion to the ‘leader of the pack.’ New ideas and processes are vital to improved efficiency for the company. People in leadership have responsibility to squeeze every ounce of efficiency out of company resources. Making the workforce and processes more productive will reduce the time to produce a given volume of output. It will also reduce the time it takes you to make the jump up the ladder.
9. Concentrates When Listening
If you attentively listen to your coworkers and teammates and help them resolve roadblocks, it adds to your ‘cred” and to your odds of enter ping manager ranks. Fellow workers approach you to discuss anything they are dissatisfied with. You don’t feel it boring or ‘none of my business’ while you were listening to them. You know you don’t come across as not having time to speak to your employees or coworkers when they come to you with their problem that needs solving.
You need to be a good listener to exhibit effective leadership. Being a good listener convinces other managers that you care for your team and that you are empathetic. Besides, it will keep you engaged.
When your employees understand that you care for them they will be ready to work harder and deliver beyond expectations. Employees are generally used to returning the favor by a leader who cares for them. In this regard, they consider who the leader is, what they bring, how they are going to benefit from them and how they are going to benefit the company as a whole. Employees look for leaders who take care of them and who are reliable at both the workplace and outside.
Empathetic leaders listen with patience. This manager behavior brings them respect. When you listen frequently you tend to become a compassionate leader. Leaders in an elevated position will be extremely mindful of what is going on around them. How? They listen! They use both verbal and non-verbal cues. When leaders listen, they are not sensing what is being said, they engage in dialogue to get the real story.
10. Comfortable When Others Attain the Next Level
If you see everyone’s potential, you encourage them to take steps to be promoted to the next level. Significantly, when you are in a leadership position, you need to take care of everyone in the team. It is not just the most talented employee that you need to consider. Make everyone perform at the highest efficiency level so that it will make each person themselves a better performer and it will also help the company doing the job at a higher efficiency.
About Flexicrew
Flexicrew , founded in 2008, focusing on fast and flexible staffing solutions. Flexicrew uses technology and industry best-practices to deliver the most talented and qualified workers–skilled and entry level to employers within most major industries. Headquartered in Chattanooga, TN with current plans to continue expanding in the TN, GA, NC, and north AL markets.