I agree that you can't have best friends but I do believe that you be friends with direct reports. You just have to assert yourself as the leader and remain in charge.
I believe the most important skills a manager could have would be respecting others and their ideas, listening to others, having an open door policy so that employees always know they can come in to discuss anything with no reprocussions.
Dan,
this is a great skill & helps us as the leader to develop each of our employees to the fullest.
Ryan Meers, Ph.D.
Respect for the individual and being sincere is key.
Understanding each employee's strengths and finding ways to connect them to the company's vision and goals.
Carl,
these are all great skills & definitely vital for the 21st century leader. That individual attention is key.
Ryan Meers, Ph.D.
Vision, respect, and emotional intelligence. Each staff member and prject has specific attributes and needs to be addressed accordingly.
Edward,
excellent point. Communication is the key to effective supervision & leadership & we need to remember that there is much more to communication than just my talking.
Ryan Meers, Ph.D.
Open door policy is something I encourage always.
I think one of the most important skills you need to supervise others is communication. A good leader is able to communicate what they want affectively. When I have a project for my staff, I ensure that everyone understands the tasks. I try to include everyones opinions and thoughts so that the group has buyin.
Karen,
and it is through communicating the vision that we can truly inspire them & rally them to the cause.
Ryan Meers, Ph.D.
I think the most important skill are communication and motivation. By communicating properly you team will know your goals and by motivating your team it will help ensure your goals are reached.
Nydia,
yes and being effective at the listening portion of communication is another necessity for a leader.
Ryan Meers, Ph.D.
The communication in my opinion is the most important skill that a supervisor requires. He needs to transmit information and instructions in a clear and effective manner to people who may not understand due to cultural or educational differences. Ensuring that the person you are talking to fully understands what you are saying is a vital skill.
Debbie,
this is a great strategy to help with accountability while not micro-maanging.
Ryan Meers, Ph.D.
I agree with this, it's important not to micro manage every move or task your team members are working on. I would assign the tasks to the team members and let them work on it, if they have questions along the way, I would be there to help, and we would meet together at the end to review the project to ensure it's completed to our satisfaction.
Jorge,
you are so right in your comment regarding the need to start preparing now for future roles.
Ryan Meers, Ph.D.
If I are considering career advancement, it is important for me to learn how to develop supervisory skills. Get prepared to accept additional responsibilities and relish the opportunity to grow professionally. Basic supervisory skills include good communication, consistency, motivation of employees and time management.
James,
I agree with you. And in my mind, the word "communication" encompasses so much of what is needed for an effective leader.
Ryan Meers, Ph.D.
The way I view leadership, an effective leader must have so many skills, qualities, and competencies that it's difficult to say which is/are the most important; it all depends on the circumstances at hand. However, I do feel that communications and mutual respect rank very high on the list. If one cannot communicate effectively and, at the same time, create an atmosphere of open, non-threatening communication channels, he/she will find the leadership role very difficult, if not impossible. Also, we must treat each individual with the same respect with which we expect others to treat us.
