Anyone who has ever held a management position understands the challenges that come with managing employees. Managers are responsible for job skills development and holding employees accountable for completing job tasks. People in management positions, need to have an aptitude for dealing with the many diverse aspects of interacting with employees. A great manager cares about the employee on a personal level as well as the employee’s ability to accomplish key responsibilities.
8 Qualities of a Great Church Manager
1. Excellent Communicator
Good communication is the secret to success for any organization. Managers should make communicating with employees a priority and constantly ask themselves, “What is it that I know my employees may need to know”? Then tell them!
Employees have an interest in the organization and have a desire to know what’s new, what’s changing, and what news will affect their jobs. Talk to them and they will appreciate it!
2. Builds Great Teams
Building strong teams is what creates a productive work environment and managers should demonstrate team leader skills. A good manager can take a random group of people and transform them into a collective unit that collaborates, works toward a shared goal, and enjoys the process.
3. Influential Leader
Effective leaders inspire and influence the behavior of others. Managers should demonstrate leadership skills to gain employee respect and confidence. Managers need to be consistent with their actions, which helps to gain the employee trust. Employees want to work for managers with good moral character that is demonstrated by personal ethical behavior.
4. Nurturing Mentor/Coach
Every employee is on a developmental journey, and managers have the responsibility of mentoring and coaching them. They do this by taking the time to find those teachable moments and helping the employee think through appropriate responses to the work environment.For example, my daughter is a young professional who works 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 does not like conflict.
Her manager witnessed a few of these events, called my daughter into her office, instructed her to confront the employee privately, and gave her some tips for 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 occurrences, if not addressed, can have a great impact on the work environment and, more importantly, on the employee’s professional development.
Capture these teachable moments as opportunities for managers to mentor and coach employees. I raise my hat to the woman who manages my daughter. She recognized the importance of encouraging her to stretch out of her comfort zone. This not only resolved the issue but also helped my daughter grow professionally!
5. Effective Time Management
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 with managing 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 for. Identify those things that steal valuable time and work to eliminate them.
6. Sets Measurable Goals
Goals are how to meet objectives and to accomplish a mission. Managers need to write measurable goals that support the strategy and mission of the church and help employees do the same.
7. Provides Feedback
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 from them. Managers have the responsibility of providing consistent, unbiased feedback. Employees need to hear when they’re doing things well, and they also need to know about those times when they’re not meeting expectations.
8. Fair and Unbiased
We all come to the workplace from different backgrounds and with unconscious biases due to our individual experiences.
An effective manager can identify those personal biases and not allow them to influence employees are managed. Maintain objectivity when dealing with employees to ensure fair management practices.
Managing employees can be a very rewarding experience, and there is nothing more fulfilling than watching an employee develop 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 the best results.