Three ways to spot a great manager

The role of a manager has evolved tremendously throughout the years. Long gone are the days when a manager's duties are limited to making sure the team members get the work done.

These days, managers take on many hats on top of their primary job responsibilities. How do we identify a great manager to work for? Let's look at some key signs.

Talent spotting

Often, an employee's performance is dependent on his strengths and weaknesses, and failures may be tied to a lack of skills.

A highly-regarded manager looks beyond statistics and KPIs (Key Performance Indicators) to explore what a person is truly good at and allocate tasks to make them feel empowered to do better.

A team leader with good instincts takes time to know the staff and their story so he can place them in roles they want and can be successful in, making them feel appreciated for what they can contribute.

Mentor and coach

Other than directing employees to do well, taking the time to mentor and coach is also a treasured trait.

A good coach sees the potential in his team and advise the members to enhance the strengths and remove obstacles to close up skill gaps.

Whether the staff is keen to stay in the company or move on to a different industry, the manager should be encouraging to develop the employee as a person holistically.

With this openness, both parties can have an open and honest relationship to align their main objectives and end goals.

Be flexible

All roads lead to Rome, as the famous saying goes. There are many ways that a manager can help employees do better.

In the office, team leaders have the managerial rights to change things up.

They can redesign workflow or processes, experiment with different styles, or invest in new systems to help the team become more efficient and allow staff to use more innovative technology.

In other ways, managers can also be flexible with budgets and allocate more towards thoughtful perks such as physical or mental health wellness.