10 Traits of Managers Whose Teams Are Happy to Come to Work Work isn't recess but it shouldn't be detention, either.
By Sherrie Campbell Edited by Dan Bova
Opinions expressed by Entrepreneur contributors are their own.
The last thing any manager wants their team members to do is dread coming to work each day. Because people spend the majority of their time at work, it is important managers do all they can to make that time enjoyable, exciting and well-spent.
A dictatorial manager who lacks empathy or insight may produce but high turnover will cause them to ultimately fail. Excellent managers do their best to make 80 percent of the job rewarding, with a 20 percent balance of healthy stress. While this may not always be the possible, it is nonetheless their goal.
1. Knowledgeable
To create a happy and successful team, exceptional managers make sure to be knowledgeable in every area of their field, and to have the resources necessary to gather the information they are lacking. They are responsible and thorough in their direction of others, they follow their insights and stay well-connected in their industry.
These skills make them the "safe-base" and strong ally team members need. The more knowledgeable a manager, the better the coach, and the more inspiring it is for team members to come to them for guidance.
Related: 7 Traits to Turn Good Managers Into Great Managers
2. Practical
Great managers understand the basic principles of management, and utilize a wide range of those principles to direct the unique and individual needs each team member presents them with. These managers are thoughtful and masterful when making decisions and also when finding solutions to problems.
Success comes with more ease when direction and expectations are clearly communicated to team members. These practical skills are essential to creating a happy and productive working environment.
Related: What Bad Managers, Good Managers and Great Managers Do
3. Upbeat
Great managers are optimistic and positive. It's better for them and better for business on every level. Successful managers are secure in their own well-being. Each day they set a positive tone for their team with an upbeat, helpful attitude.
A manager who is cold and mechanical will, more often than not, get their team off on the wrong foot each day. Success is harder to come by working under oppressive and negative conditions.
Related: The 6 Most Familiar 'Bad Boss' Types and What to Do About Them
4. Stress management
Stress is the one place we all have the potential to short circuit, lose patience and treat others poorly. Top managers pride themselves on being emotionally intelligent and capable of self-possession. Because they know how to manage their own stress, they are more masterful in managing the stress of their team members when it is most needed. To reduce stress, top managers ensure team members have the necessary time to nurture and take of themselves personally and professionally. This type of a management approach is based in balance. When things are in balance, success is more easily developed and maintained.
Related: How Bill Gates, Elon Musk and Richard Branson Cope With Stress (Infographic)
5. Love what they do.
Well-liked managers love what they do. Because of this love, they view themselves as consistent "learners." They invest their time and resources into self-development, education and training.
It is inspiring for anyone to be around a person hungry for their own growth and development. When a manager has this interest and passion, it is undeniably contagious to those who work for them. Great managers hold the awareness that the only way to stay ahead of the competition is to grow themselves and their team beyond the competition.
Related: Do Effective Leaders Use Fear or Love in the Workplace?
6. Leadership
Great managers develop their leadership skills by engaging in teamwork exercises and practices that unleash the full potential of the team they manage. Successful managers focus on teaching their team members how to work with each other, rather than against each other. They keep their team cohesive by valuing comradery over competition.
Related: Effective Teams Have Leaders Who Do These 3 Things
7. Ability to motivate.
Stand-out managers are self-motivated and able to motivate others. They continually ask themselves how they can improve team morale with new tactics to keep passions peaked.
Successful and well-liked managers cultivate the relationship between happiness and achievement in their team members. They inspire their team by redefining goals as part of something larger than closing their next deal. The more supportive the environment between individual team members, and between team members and their manager, the more cohesive and successful they all become together.
Related: 6 Things Effective Leaders Should Do to Inspire Their Teams
8. Dedication to excellence.
Great managers expect the best from themselves and their team. They refuse to settle for poor results, knowing it reflects upon their ability to manage well, just as much as it reflects upon the team's ability to excel. The best managers encourage the sharing of ideas and offer incentives, such as bonuses or commissions, to get their team thinking more outside of the box. They don't tolerate team members badmouthing each other, their customers or vendors. They point out that all people are human. They make sure to keep their team focused on solutions not problems. They encourage their team members to be good human beings, not just good salespeople.
9. Focused on quality.
Top managers focus on the quality of what their team produces. As important as volume and productivity may be on the front-end of a deal, it is the quality of the services and reliability of the product being sold that ultimately determines the value of the deal.
Successful managers encourage the productive use of time, skill and knowledge. These managers understand that the most successful and fulfilled teams are those who experience meaningful results. Team members have to value who they are, the product they sell, those who use their product and the importance of delivering quality results.
Related: The Unusual Team-Building Methods of Famous Bosses (Infographic)
10. Success is shared.
Great managers desire to have a meaningful and significant impact on their team. Successful managers are driven to make a difference, an emotional difference, in their team members. For this reason, they celebrate the accomplishments of everyone, believing that everyone is capable to doing well. They are solution-focused, and generous with their time and attention when someone needs it. The well-being of their team members is central to a great manager's approach because they know that when people feel important, they treat all they do and achieve with more importance.
