7 Key Skills for Good Managers

The 7 Skills Every Good Manager Needs to Now and in the Future

70% of an employee's experience is directly related to their immediate manager, making good management skills crucial for employee retention and turnover. In this article, we will discuss the seven key skills that make a good manager and provide strategies for developing and refining these skills.

1. Relationship Building

Good managers excel in creating bonds of trust with the people they work with and understand the importance of maintaining strong relationships. To develop this skill, managers should focus on active listening, empathy, and effective communication. Building trust requires consistency, reliability, and being transparent with team members.

2. Developing People

A good manager recognizes the potential in their team members and knows how to co-create visions and plans to support their skills development and provide new opportunities for growth. This requires a deep understanding of individual strengths and areas of improvement. Managers can mentor and coach their team members to help them reach their full potential.

3. Responding to Change

Change is inevitable in any organization, and good managers are adept at assessing the situation and remaining curious amidst change. They don't react impulsively, but instead look for options and opportunities, rather than viewing everything as a problem to solve. They encourage their team to embrace change and adapt to new challenges.

4. Motivating and Inspiring Others

Effective managers take the time to understand their team members' motivation drivers and tailor their communication style to resonate with them. They inspire and motivate their team by setting clear goals, recognizing achievements, and providing support whenever needed. A good manager understands the importance of keeping their team engaged and motivated to achieve success.

5. Critical Thinking

Good managers go beyond surface-level thinking and engage in critical thinking to assess situations from different angles. They challenge assumptions, seek more information, and question existing processes or outdated thinking. By doing so, they can identify areas that need improvement and guide their team towards a better future.

6. Clear Communication

Clear communication is vital for effective management. Good managers leverage curiosity, clarification, and verification to ensure everyone is on the same page. They ask open-ended or clarifying questions to avoid ambiguity and push back on assumptions. Additionally, they ensure that all necessary parties are included in relevant discussions to foster collaboration and alignment.

7. Creating Accountability

Good managers hold themselves accountable and model that behavior to their team members. Instead of micromanaging, they create shared agreements based on the expectations of each employee's role. This approach fosters a high-trust and high-respect dynamic within the team. Managers should empower their team to take responsibility for their work and provide support when needed.

Now that we have discussed the key skills of a good manager, let's explore strategies for developing and refining these skills.

1. Read Leadership Books: Start by reading books on leadership, management, and personal development. These books provide insights and practical advice to enhance your management skills. (Also be sure to apply critical thinking when determining which skills and opinions you’d like to absorb as your own)

2. Surround Yourself with Empowering Leaders:Surround yourself with individuals who embody the energy and presence you admire in a leader. Observe their behaviors and learn from their experiences. If you don't have such individuals in your current circle, consider working with a coach, joining a leadership development group, or finding a mentor or advisor.

3. Seek Direct and Constructive Feedback: To identify your gaps and blind spots as a manager, it's crucial to be in an environment that provides direct and constructive feedback. Regularly seek feedback from your team members, peers, and superiors. Actively listen to their suggestions and implement necessary adjustments.

4. Continually Learn and Grow: Embrace a growth mindset and be open to learning new management strategies and techniques. Attend seminars, workshops, or conferences related to leadership and management. Engage in ongoing professional development to stay up-to-date with the latest trends and best practices.

5. Mentor and Coach Your Team: As a manager, invest time in mentoring and coaching your team members. Help them identify their goals, provide guidance, and offer opportunities for growth. Encourage them to develop their own leadership skills by delegating responsibilities and empowering them to make decisions.

Being a good manager requires a diverse set of skills. By focusing on relationship building, developing people, responding to change, motivating and inspiring others, critical thinking, clear communication, and creating accountability, managers can effectively lead their teams and drive organizational success. Furthermore, by continuously developing and refining these skills through reading, seeking feedback, surrounding oneself with empowering leaders, and embracing ongoing learning, managers can excel in their roles and create a positive work environment.

Flex Your Truscle: The Key to Empowering Success as a Leader

Trust is essential for leaders, it's the glue that holds the whole team together. When your team members trust you as their leader, they feel more connected and committed. It helps people get on the same page and make the magic happen. With trust you get better collaboration, more open communication, and people are more motivated to give their best. Trust, along with Psychological Safety, are the two necessary elements to build a solid foundation for teams and organizations to innovate, collaborate and accelerate.  

But trust doesn't just arrive in your inbox, it takes intentional and consistent effort. You don't get in shape at the gym in one day, but just like your biceps need reps to get stronger, so does your Trust Muscle, or what we call your Truscles.

Here are 7 Things You Can Do as a Leader to Flex your Truscles

1. Embrace Self-Awareness

The foundation of building self-trust as a leader starts with self-awareness. Exploring your strengths, weaknesses, and values will help you identify gaps and blind spots, celebrate your efforts, and build credibility with your team. Self-Awareness begins with quiet reflection, where you can curiously evaluate and reassess past situations through a learning lens. You can also engage in introspection by soliciting peer feedback and filtering what is for you to learn and grow from. As a self-aware leader, you are setting an example for others and demonstrating the importance of continuous growth and learning.

2. Set Clear Goals and Keep Your Word

Only 3% of the population has goals, and only 1% of them write them down. By writing down your goals, you are 42% more likely to achieve them. As a leader, having a clear vision and well-defined goals doesn't just benefit you, but it gives your team a secure space to operate in. The more specific you are in your goals, the better you can plan for success. Once your goals and plans are clear, you are more equipped to keep your word with yourself, which is the most effective way to build trust within yourself. 

3. Transparency and Open Communication

Transparency is a powerful tool for building trust in any relationship, including leadership roles. Be open and honest with your team, sharing relevant information and insights. Have the necessary conversations that can help create pathways forward. Transparent communication fosters a sense of inclusion and helps team members feel valued and trusted. If faced with challenges or mistakes, don't shy away from admitting them. Your vulnerability will humanize you as a leader and reinforce the trust your team has in you.

4. Delegate and Empower Others

Leadership is not about micromanagement; it's about trusting your team to excel. Delegate tasks to individuals based on their strengths and provide them with the autonomy to accomplish their goals. Empowering your team members cultivates a sense of ownership and accountability. When you show confidence in their abilities, they will reciprocate that trust and work diligently to meet expectations.

5. Learn from Failures

Failures are inevitable in any leadership journey. What sets a great leader apart is their ability to embrace failure as an opportunity for growth. When things go awry, take responsibility, analyze what went wrong, and learn from the experience. Demonstrating resilience and adaptability in the face of setbacks will bolster your credibility as a leader, showing your team that you can navigate through challenges and emerge stronger.

6. Build Positive Relationships

Trust in leadership is inherently tied to the relationships you foster with your team. Be approachable and invest time in getting to know your team members as individuals. Listen actively to their concerns, ideas, and aspirations. By building positive relationships, you create a supportive and collaborative environment where trust can flourish naturally.

7. Acknowledge and Celebrate Success

Recognize and celebrate achievements and effort for yourself and your team. Expressing gratitude and acknowledging hard work reinforces positive behavior and motivates your team. Where your focus goes is where your energy grows. Celebrating success together enhances team cohesion and builds a sense of camaraderie, which further strengthens the bond of trust.

The more you use your Truscles, the stronger your trust bond will be. Every day is your opportunity to build trust in yourself and those around you. The more intentional and committed you are, the more successful you will be. So get out there and flex those Truscles!

Need support in building trust with your team, we’re here to help! Book a complimentary consultation and learn what Spitfire Coach can do for you and your team.

5 Things You Can Do Right Now to Be a Better People Manager

It doesn't matter if you have the title.

It doesn't matter if you have assumed the role.

You have the opportunity to be a better leader in every moment of interaction. 

What is a leader?

A leader is a person who has influence. 

A leader is someone who shifts the energy of the group.

Guess what, the leader can affect the group, and the group can affect the individual. 

Now that can be in good ways. You can have inspiration and motivation and all those creative vibes.

Or it can draw the energy down. 

Have you ever been in a meeting, and someone yucks on your yum? 

Here's how we can positively influence a group. 

Number one, check yourself before you wreck yourself. 

Meaning before you step into a meeting, do a nice little body scan. 

Are you holding on to stress? Do you have any resentment? Are you full of bias? 

If you're not clear, get a piece of paper. What are you bringing in? 

Have you just had an argument with someone? Did you read a frustrating email? Are you worried about how to make a decision? 

Get it out of your head. 

Number two, what are your intentions in meeting with people? 

Do you want to learn things? Do you want to get clarification? Do you want to brainstorm an idea share? Do you want to alter behaviors? 

If you aren't clear, you're coming in with assumptions.

If you don't have an agenda for your meeting, go ahead and do that. 

What are one, two, or three things that you want to accomplish in this interaction? 

This is going to help you create a framework and an outline of how you move things forward. 

I want you to think about how do you want to feel at the end of the interaction. 

So as you're clicking out of your Zoom Room, as you are exiting your email exchange, as you're ending a phone call, how do you want to feel? 

I want to feel at peace. 

I want to feel like this person and I have some trust built. We're coming together. We have trust, yay. 

But if you're not clear about how you want to feel, this is an opportunity to further define that. That's right, we're going to get more specific because once we know where our target is, we can reverse engineer it. 

I'm not gonna do the Roger Rabbit because I have neighbors below me. 

Here is the sprinkle sauce. I want you to take yourself out of it. 

It ain't about you.

Advice, I could do a whole series on advice-giving. 

Stop it! Please stop giving advice. 

It's like leaving a flaming bag of dog poo at someone's door, and they'd be like pika to prison is nice. It's the worst! 

If it is unsolicited, people didn't ask for it. And therefore, it's not going to be received as a gift. 

It's going to be received as a judgment, as a comparison, as criticism. 

You know you've gotten it before. 

So can we please stop? Thank you. 

We're not giving advice. We are not laying our stuff and our story and our assumptions on other people. 

What we're doing is creating space for other people to step in, meet us where they are, have inclusivity, and allow people to emerge as themselves. 

What we're going to do is be curious. We're going to ask good questions we're going to clarify. 

"So what I'm hearing you say is..." 

"Tell me more about this..." 

"So we've done this before; how are we going to move this forward?" 

You do not need to have the answer. 

And in fact, not having the answer as a leader allows you to be a better leader and be less stressed and not feel that internal pressure that I know you've been feeling and being the right kind of leader. 

Guess what the right kind of leader is? 

The one that's okay, not having the answers, that's okay being wrong, that owns their stuff. 

"I'm feeling stressed today. I feel overwhelmed. But I'm really looking forward to our time together."

"I'm looking forward to problem solve, to brainstorm to hear about your ideas." 

When you can do that consistently, then people trust you. 

People are like, "Oh, I'm really looking forward to talking to Lauren because she's a good time. She wears those fun hats, and she listens to me. And she doesn't give me advice anymore." 

Yeah, that's what being a leader is. 

I don't need to have the title to be a leader. 

You don't need to have the title to be a leader. 

All you need to do is create the space before you enter. 

Create your agenda, create your intentions, create the space and be consistent. 

In doing these five things, I guarantee you're gonna feel better going to bed, waking up, and entering into interactions because you don't have to be the maker and creator of all the things. 

How about that? It's a collective process, this team thing. Who knew? 

I hope this has been helpful, and let me know how it goes. 

And if it's a colossal failure, well, you know, just kidding, it's gonna go great. And I'll see you guys next time you keep being awesome.

So You Want to Be a Boss? 5 Words to Remove from Your Vocabulary ASAP

Are the words that are coming out or your mouth or through your keyboard holding you back from success? Your words have power and your selection of some words may be keeping you from succeeding.

If you want to be respected, taken seriously and considered for a leadership position, I highly recommend removing these 5 words from your vocabulary immediately and why.

1.       Nice

Whether you’re the “Nice Girl” or “Nice Guy” or think you need to be, this word is a power diluter. When your focus is on being nice it’s about other’s perception of you. It puts you and your value in the backseat and puts other’s assumed demands in the driver’s seat. If you’re not nice, then who are you? Probably pretty interesting. Try replacing it with kind, philanthropic, compassionate.

2.       Fine

Nothing is more passive aggressive than responding with “Fine.” It’s dismissive and says, “I hear you, but I don’t agree with you, but I don’t want to offend you, so I’m not going to be honest and say what I really think.”  If someone asks how you are and you respond with, “I’m fine.”, it cuts off the interaction at the shins. Try replacing it with full and honest thoughts. If you need to take some time to process, take the time, but don’t replace it with Fine.

3.       Good

The cousin of Fine, good is a flat generalized response. If a team member asks what you thought about a project or performance and you respond with “It was good.”, it signals a lack of engagement or interest. If you must use Good, make sure you back it up with specific feedback about the question. If you don’t think it’s Good, be honest about areas of improvement.

4.       Kinda

Spellcheck doesn’t even acknowledge Kinda as a word, but we’ll make an exception. Chances are you aren’t using this in written communication, but when kinda creeps in at the Board table, it devalues every point and perception of authority you built up. Kinda signals that you aren’t sure about what you’re thinking or saying. That smidget of self-doubt is enough to plant seeds of questioning with your audience. If you are unsure, say you’ll check in on that and get back to them, but under no circumstance should you say “I kinda think that…”.

5.       Just

I am completely guilty about using the word a lot and I cringe every time I catch myself doing it. Usually it’s in the form of “Just checking in” and while my intention is to not seem like I’m interrupting, it comes off as apologetic and meek, which is not who I am. You’re not “just” doing something. You ARE doing it. So when you see that pesky just poking it’s head up in your conversations and emails, delete it!

As you build your strength as a leader, these words and phrases will be replaced with confident statements, curious questions and thoughtful reflection. Stay in the moment with your team and listen to your inner voice and trust it. You’ve got this!

My 2018 Business Goals

Earlier today I designed a graphic for a client representing her dream life in 10 years. She's a public figure and wants to expand her reach into the media world. I immediately thought of designing her a magazine cover. It was awesome (she thought so too!). I sent it over and wondered why I hadn't done it for myself.

Like most inspirational tools I design, they are inspired by my clients. I actually really love developing visual tools to help them see their progress, goals, and ideal images. I've created an Ideal Leader, Ideal Client, Life Map, Value Compass and now 10-Year Dream Board Image.

So I designed myself one for 2018 with my goals. I'm going big, because why the hell not?! I'm big on setting intentions and sharing it with others. So if you're reading this and you want to be a part of me making big moves in 2018, you can get started in 2017!

Here is the image.

2018 Goals

1. Make it on a magazine cover

2. Known as "Spitting Some Fire" in my "Super Fucking Magical Coaching" and hosting "The SpitFire Podcast"

3. 25+ Paid Speaking Gigs

4. 15 Active Clients Per Month

5. 2 Published Books

6. The SpitFire Podcast is killing it in downloads and sponsorship

7. Ongoing referrals for Confidence and Leadership Training for Existing and Emerging CEOs

8. I live by the motto "If It's Not Fun, Why Do It?!

9. I am a catalyst of positive change

10. I help people take care of themselves, so they can take care of business.

11. Quadruple 2017 Revenue

Before 2018 is here, I'd love to see your goals. Feel free to post them in the comment section or email it to me lauren@laurenlemunyan.com

Where Are My Blind Spots?

I haven’t thought about blind spots since I owned a car two years ago. They highlighted an unseen risk that could be avoided if I changed my position or perspective. This usually required looking over my shoulder, using another mirror or asking a passenger to look.

During my Myers-Briggs Type Indicator certification, I also got to dive into my own blind spots. “There’s no way I have those.” I thought. “I'm super self-aware of my faults and weaknesses.”

So wrong.

When we think of decision-making, we can break it down into four components for simplicity sake.

1)      Gathering the Facts

2)      Brainstorming and Building the Plan

3)      Executing the Plan

4)      Gaining Buy In

With my personality type (ENTP), I was able to highlight my dominant reaction (Intuition), or building the plan, followed by executing the plan. I love being inspired and going into action and making it happen.

What’s missing? The details and the buy in.

By skipping over the facts, I wasn’t able to fully address roadblocks or alternative options. I had the shell of the plan, but waited until it was necessary to figure out the details.

When I didn’t have buy in, I found myself feeling misunderstood or unsupported in my endeavors. In order to get the buy in, I needed the details to support it.

This is a very simplistic view of the decision-making process, but highlights a critical flaw that we all share. Whatever our process, we can overlook or overcompensate our strengths leaving us without the full and complete picture.

If you’d like to get a full report and debrief of your MBTI type, contact me for a full assessment and session.