Anyone who has ever been in a management position understands the challenges that come with managing employees.
These issues are the same when managing church staff.
What is the responsibility of a manager?
Managers have the responsibility of helping employees develop job skills and holding employees accountable for completing job responsibilities.
Being in a management position requires an aptitude for dealing with the many diverse aspects of interacting with employees.
And, a great manager cares about the people they supervise.
Interestingly, the number one reason employees leave a job is because of their direct supervisor. Learn the proper way of supervising employees and you will be well on your way to being a great manager.
8 Traits of a Great Manager!
1. Excellent Communicator
Good communication is the secret to success for any organization which is why managers should make communicating with employees a priority.
Constantly ask yourself, “what is it that I know that my employees need to know”? Then tell them!
Church employees have a vested interest in its operation and have the desire to know what’s new, what’s changing, and those things that will impact their job.
For instance, if the church is in the exploration stage of planning a building expansion, let employees in on the details so they can enjoy the anticipation of a new facility.
Share what you know and they will appreciate that you cared enough to include them!
2. Good Team Builder
An effective manager is able to take a random group of people and transform them into a collective unit that collaborates, works toward a shared goal, and enjoys the process.
Building strong teams makes for a rewarding employee experience.
Invest in church management by developing a fundamental competency of team leader skills. Then help managers develop their teams by providing the projects and resources to get them done.
3. Great Leader
Great leaders inspire and influence the behaviors of others.
They do this by demonstrating leadership skills and competencies that help to gain the respect and confidence of those they lead.
These leaders inspire others through their actions and have the ability to get their teams excited about projects.
4. Influential Mentor/Coach
Every employee is on a developmental journey and managers have the responsibility of mentoring and coaching them.
This is done by taking the time to find those teachable moments and helping the employee think through appropriate responses to the work environment.
For example, when my daughter was a young professional, she worked for a large fortune 500 company. She had a coworker who was constantly criticizing her publicly and embarrassing her in front of her peers.
She chose not to do anything about it because she doesn’t like conflict.
Her manager witnessed a few of these situations and called my daughter into her office and instructed her to confront the employee privately and gave her some tips on how to do it and what to say.
My daughter was terrified but followed through as instructed and the situation was resolved.
These seemingly insignificant scenarios, if not addressed, can have a great impact on the work environment, but more importantly on the employee’s professional development.
These teachable moments should be captured as an opportunity for managers to mentor and coach employees.
I raise my hat to her manager because she recognized the importance of encouraging her to stretch personally, which not only resolved the issue but helped my daughter grow professionally!
5. Effective With Managing Time
There are never enough hours in the day and there are always unpredictable curve balls that derail the best of time managers.
A key management competency is one that finds efficiency in work time and helps employees develop personal skills to manage their time at work.
Chit-chatting in the hallway for 15 minutes here and there is a time thief that most organizations don’t have the luxury of.
Teach employees to work efficiently so they can manage those unanticipated interruptions.
6. Goal Oriented
Goals are how objectives are met and a mission is accomplished.
Managers need to be able to write church goals that support the strategy and mission of the organization – and help employees do the same.
For instance, managers should meet with employees once a year and create goals. These goals should be monitored and the manager is responsible for removing obstacles that slow the process.
7. Provides Ongoing Feedback
Employees desire constant feedback.
They need to hear when they are doing things well and they also need to be made away of those times when they are not meeting expectations.
For instance, if your employee has a goal task with a defined due date, you should make that employee aware that you expect that task completed by that date. If the employee fails to meet the deadline, it is your responsibility to reach out and determine the reason why.
All too often, managers get frustrated with employees for not performing up to their expectations, when the reality is, they failed to communicate what it was that they expected.
Managers have the responsibility of providing consistent feedback, which is what a well-designed performance management system is built on.
8. Is Fair and Unbiased
We all come to the workplace from different backgrounds and with unconscious biases due to our individual experiences.
An effective manager is able to identify those personal biases and not allow them to influence how employees are managed.
For instance, an unconscious bias a manager might have is giving a lower performance rating to an employee who had a recent incident that needed correcting. A fair manager will consider the entire rating period.
The ability to remain objective when dealing with employees is imperative to fair management practices.
Proactive management is worth the effort.
Managing employees can be one of the most rewarding experiences anyone can have.
It takes focus, effort, and objectivity, however, there is nothing more fulfilling than watching an employee develop their professional acumen.
Some managers try to manage the time that employees are at work but effective managers are skilled at managing the people – which ultimately develops the person and produces results.
Learn more tips for managing your employees by enrolling in our Church Administration Course.
