𝑯𝒂𝒗𝒊𝒏𝒈 𝒂 𝒈𝒐𝒐𝒅 𝒎𝒂𝒏𝒂𝒈𝒆𝒓 𝒊𝒔 𝒂 𝒃𝒍𝒆𝒔𝒔𝒊𝒏𝒈! 𝑩𝒖𝒕 𝒘𝒉𝒐 𝒊𝒔 𝒂 𝒈𝒐𝒐𝒅 𝒎𝒂𝒏𝒂𝒈𝒆𝒓?

Well, I have seen quite a few viral posts like these, someone holding a board with the quote '𝑯𝒂𝒗𝒊𝒏𝒈 𝒂 𝑮𝒐𝒐𝒅 𝑴𝒂𝒏𝒂𝒈𝒆𝒓 𝒊𝒔 𝒂 𝒃𝒍𝒆𝒔𝒔𝒊𝒏𝒈!' on it. And from the response, I can make out that everyone agrees to the above statement. 

𝐁𝐮𝐭 𝐰𝐡𝐨 𝐢𝐬 𝐚 𝐠𝐨𝐨𝐝 𝐦𝐚𝐧𝐚𝐠𝐞𝐫?  

There are many different types of Managers. Some are egoistic, some authoritarian ‘my way or the highway’ types, some who are completely hands-off and some who are micromanaging everything. It is very easy to understand which managers are not a blessing, the above list says it all. 

So, who are the good managers? 

I believe that good managers have the following leadership traits: 

#1 𝑰𝒏𝒕𝒆𝒈𝒓𝒊𝒕𝒚 𝒊𝒔 𝒆𝒗𝒆𝒓𝒚𝒕𝒉𝒊𝒏𝒈! Good managers always do the right thing, they have strong values, and they live by their words. Having work ethics for them is non-negotiable. They have zero tolerance for any integrity issues. If integrity is compromised, then you don’t have a good manager. And reasons don’t matter. 

#2 𝑻𝒓𝒖𝒔𝒕 𝒊𝒔 𝒕𝒉𝒆 𝒏𝒂𝒎𝒆 𝒐𝒇 𝒕𝒉𝒆 𝒈𝒂𝒎𝒆! The most important ingredient of having a long-lasting relationship is Trust. Your equation with your manager should be strong, you shouldn’t hesitate to speak your mind. Your manager should trust you, your intentions, your capabilities, your words. And you should trust him or her too. 

#3 𝑹𝒆𝒔𝒑𝒆𝒄𝒕! Treat others the way you want to be treated, that’s what good managers do. A good manager will respect you for who you are, as a person, as an employee, as a team member? Respect is important for any individual, money will come and go, respect should never go. And if your performance dips or you miss a deadline, a good manager will never disrespect you.  

#4 𝑰𝒔 𝒚𝒐𝒖𝒓 𝒎𝒂𝒏𝒂𝒈𝒆𝒓 𝒂 𝒓𝒐𝒍𝒆 𝒎𝒐𝒅𝒆𝒍? Do you aspire to be like your manager? Do you learn from him or her? Does he or she coach you to become their successor? Do you receive clear and regular feedback? As professionals, we learn the most at work from our managers (in life it’s our parents) So, if you are not learning anything from your manager, then your grooming and career path is at risk.  

#5 𝑴𝒐𝒕𝒊𝒗𝒂𝒕𝒊𝒐𝒏 is needed to achieve your goals. It is needed to make things happen. A good manager knows exactly what works for the individual, he or she appreciates your contributions. You feel valued working with a manager like this. 

#6 𝑫𝒐𝒆𝒔 𝒚𝒐𝒖𝒓 𝒃𝒐𝒔𝒔 𝒉𝒂𝒗𝒆 𝒇𝒖𝒏? Good managers make work fun, they don’t get serious about everything, they understand that humor is required to break the monotony. They would shake a leg with you and have regular outings with the team to get them together. If you have a boss who is fun, then you will really enjoy working. 

And lastly,

#7 𝑰𝒔 𝒚𝒐𝒖𝒓 𝒎𝒂𝒏𝒂𝒈𝒆𝒓 𝑨𝒖𝒕𝒉𝒆𝒏𝒕𝒊𝒄? A good manager is an Authentic leader. They are genuine in their interactions with people. They are like an open book, true to who they are as individuals. Authentic leaders are rare to find so if you have one, that’s a true blessing! 

Hope this article helps you get some perspective about who a good manager is. I am sure I would’ve missed some so feel free to add your thoughts. 

And next time you are looking for a job change, research the company but also find out who your boss will be.

In my opinion, a good manager in a bad organization is way better than a bad manager in a good organization. So choose wisely :)