Managerial traits you need
Blog author: Nina Murray, Associate Tutor & Assessor, Inspired2learn
Clear communication, excellent listening skills, ability to provide clear direction, ability to motivate people and being able to respond to change effectively are not new traits when it comes to management, but according to CMI’s Better Managers Roadmap they have become even more important in 2021.
There is no doubt that COVID19 has changed the world of business and work, but as we are starting to see some on and off easing of restrictions, it also became apparent that the way we used to do business and work is gone not just temporarily, but forever. The traditional ‘9am – 5pm, Monday to Friday, office-based’ work is simply not coming back.
More and more organisations are letting go of their expensive office spaces and more businesses are now planning the future of their workforce being predominantly based remotely. What used to be considered a novel concept, and a way of working suited mainly to the world of technology, has now well and truly become the norm for majority of businesses and industries.
The concept of remote work is not new as the popularity of it has been growing alongside technological advancements worldwide (“A large-scale transition from traditional, colocated work to remote work arguably began with the adoption of work-from-home (WFH) policies in the 1970s, as soaring gasoline prices caused by the 1973 OPEC oil embargo made commuting more expensive”, HBR 2020), but the 2020 global pandemic catapulted the concept from a ‘futuristic idea’ for the majority of organisations to the ‘new normal’ for most of the world.
This huge change in the way we work brings changes to the way we manage of course. Not only do managers need to learn to let go of control and be able to trust their teams more than ever before, but in order to build and develop thriving teams, communication, listening, clear direction, motivation and ability to respond to and lead change need to be top notch.
Whether your organisation (or team) decided to be fully remotely based, split time between working from home and the office or being mainly office based, people’s needs and requirements have changed and your management style needs to adapt in order to meet the needs of the new working world.
Crystal clear communication is key in ensuring everyone knows what’s going. Things change and evolve so quickly, without excellent communication, people will quickly start feeling disconnected, lost and disengaged.
There is no question that regardless of individual situations, the pandemic impacted everyone in one way or another so without truly listening to your team and their individual needs, you won’t be able to adequately respond to their needs and look after their wellbeing. And let’s not forget that ensuring staff wellbeing has been catapulted to the no 1 spot when it comes to ‘the most important roles for managers to play in 2021’, according to CMI’s Management Transformed.
Abilities to provide clear direction, motivate your team (and yourself) and being able to respond to and lead change effectively also need to stepped up massively as with less actual face to face time in the physical world, changing requirements of work and quickly evolving needs of your team, the old ways simply won’t cut it.
The ‘future of work’ is no longer in the future, it is already here and it requires you as a manager to step up your skills in order to be an effective manager.
Whether you are just starting your managerial journey, or if you are an experienced manager, we all need to review our skills, abilities and toolkits, identify what still serves us, what needs to be left in the past, what’s required for our new normal, and evolve alongside this very rapidly changing world of work.
If you are keen not to be left behind and ensure your skills are top notch whilst your toolkit is full of shiny new and adequate tools, check out CMIs latest qualifications and start your journey to becoming the best manager you can be now:
Level 3 – For First Line/Supervisory/Team Leading
Level 5 – For Middle/Operational Management
Level 6 – For Senior/Regional/Specialist Management
Level 7 – For Senior/Strategic Management
Chartered Manager – The highest status in the management profession (available via the full assessment of fast-track routes)
Happy learning, and if you have any questions, please don’t hesitate to give us a shout on +44 (0) 1380 888013 or enquiries@inspired2learn.co.uk.
