During our career many of us are always looking up to the next step on the ladder and the next step we can take to further ourselves in a professional way. One of the steps up which can often happen to you once you have a lot of experience in the field is the role of manager.

Becoming a manager is like stepping into a whole new world, and today we are taking a look at what you need to be the best boss you can this year.

Kindness

It is crucial for anyone who wants to manage people that they have a good heart and that they are able to show some real kindness to the people who work for them. The people in your team are real people and they need your guidance. As a leader you need to show them the right way to behave and make sure that they respect you as a person as well as a boss.

Understanding

Every good manager understands how important it is for people to be able to show off their unique skills in a team. Everyone who works with you will have different skills and different needs. Some may have babies, illnesses and other issues which you should work around to keep them feeling

Happy and content in their workspace. Just as their are skills you need to start a business here: Founder’s Guide, there are people skills you need to be a good manager and being understanding towards your colleagues is a must.

Flexibility

Everyone who works for you has a life. Some people will be looking to learn how to drive, some buying a house, some will have kids… but everyone is unique and has their own set of needs which you should help them with. For any boss you need to realise that life doesn’t start and end at work. Life is much bigger and people need to be able to balance every aspect to stay healthy. Be flexible when people need to work at home or leave earlier, make sure that you show that you care.

Transparency

As a manager it is important for you not to hide things from your team. The reason that many teams break up or don’t work is due to lack of communication, so be sure to always be honest with your workers and know that they are a trusted member of the company. If you have a problem share it with the group and you might even get a fresh perspective on how to solve it. Include your employees in decisions and make sure you feel like a real team.

Assertiveness

You can’t be a boss if you aren’t able to say what you mean now and again and delegate tasks in an authoritative way. If you want to be a good manager make sure that people listen to you and be confident in your own ability, you’ll gain respect and trust as a result of this.