What Makes a Good Manager?

Knowing what makes a good manager allows for the effective selection of a strong management team. Management job candidates are often asked this question in their interview.

There are certain skills, qualities and competencies that a successful manager displays regardless of industry, organization, age or gender.

6 Skills a Manager Should Demonstrate

These are the key qualities and abilities a good manager demonstrates to achieve a productive and efficient workforce that accomplishes the right results.

1. A good manager provides clear direction

defines specific objectives and outcomes

communicates these clearly to staff
delegates responsibility and defines roles explicitly
establishes and communicates checks and controls
follows up to ensure staff are on track to achieve outcomes

2. A good manager engages in clear communication

expresses ideas effectively
allows for frequent and open two-way communication
summarizes information to clarify understanding
listens to and acts on staff suggestions
provides constructive feedback to staff

3. A good manager effectively develops staff

utilizes staff members' skills and potential through effective delegation
develops staff through appropriate learning activities
empowers staff by sharing control of resources and responsibilities
manages staff performance continuously
provides support and help to maximize performance
recognizes staff for their efforts

4. A good manager exercises good judgment

defines and clarifies the issue
gathers relevant facts
chooses the most appropriate course of action based on valid information
commits to the course of action
communicates and explains decision to staff
follows up on implementation

5. A good manager plans and organizes to get results

defines objectives
develops set of actions to meet objectives
determines, obtains and assigns resources
directs and motivates staff to achieve outcomes
evaluates and reviews progress

6. A good manager solves problems effectively

defines the problem
gathers and analyzes relevant information
identifies cause and effect relationships
generates possible solutions
plans, communicates and executes the best solution

Identifying a good manager does not have to be complicated. Focus on the basic skills that matter. Use the manager interview guide to explore these competencies and make the right selection decision.

As a manager use your insight to evaluate your own skills.

What are the strengths and qualities of a good manager?

A manager is expected to demonstrate certain workplace competencies and strengths that are core to successful job performance in most areas. You can find a list of the 12 Core Competencies identified as key to workplace success.

List of Workplace Strengths

Manager job descriptions

Gain a complete understanding of management duties and responsibilities and the role of the manager in the organization with these extensive job descriptions.

Management vs. Leadership

Manager Job Descriptions