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A good manager has at least 10 good qualities.

There isn't a magic formula for good management, of course, but if you're a manager, perhaps these tips will help you be more effective:

1. Choose a field thoughtfully. Make it one you enjoy. It's hard to be productive without enthusiasm. This is true whether you're a manager or employee;

2. Hire carefully and be willing to fire. You need a strong team because a mediocre team gives mediocre results, no matter how well managed it is. One mistake is holding on to somebody who doesn't measure up. It's easy to keep this person on the job because he's not terrible at what he does. But a good manager will replace him or move him to where he can succeed unambiguously;

3. Create a productive environment. This is a particular challenge because it requires different approaches depending on the context. Sometimes you maximize productivity by giving everybody his or her own office. Sometimes you achieve it by moving everybody into open space. Sometimes you use financial incentives to stimulate productivity. A combination of approaches is usually required. One element that almost always increases productivity is providing an information system that empowers employees.

When I was building Microsoft, I set out to create an environment where software developers could thrive. I wanted a company where engineers liked to work. I wanted to create a culture that encouraged them to work together, share ideas, and remain motivated. If I hadn't been a software engineer myself, there's no way I could have achieved my goal;

4. Define success. Make it clear to your employees what constitutes success and how they should measure their achievements. Goals must be realistic. Project schedules, for example, must be set by the people who do the work. People will accept a "bottoms-up" deadline they helped set, but they'll be cynical about a schedule imposed from the top that doesn't map to reality. Unachievable goals undermine an organization. At my company, in addition to regular team meetings and one-on-one sessions between managers and employees, we use mass gatherings periodically and Email routinely to communicate what we expect from employees. If a reviewer or customer chooses another company's product, we analyze the situation. We say to our people, "The next time around we've got to win. What's needed?" The answers to these questions help us define success;

5. To be a good manager, you have to like people and be good at communicating. This is hard to fake. If you don't enjoy interacting with people, it'll be hard to manage them well. You must have a wide range of personal contacts within your organization. You need relationships - not necessarily personal friendships - with a fair number of people, including your own employees. You must encourage these people to tell you what's going on and give you feedback about what people are thinking about the company and your role in it;

6. Develop your people to do their jobs better than you can. Transfer your skills to them. This is an exciting goal, but it can be threatening to a manager who worries that he's training his replacement. If you're concerned, ask your boss: "If I develop somebody who can do my job super well, does the company have some other challenge for me or not?" Many smart managers like to see their employees increase their responsibilities because it frees the managers to tackle new or undone tasks. There's no shortage of jobs for good managers. The world has an infinite amount of work to be done;

7. Build morale. Make it clear there's plenty of goodwill to go around and that it's not just you or some hotshot manager who's going to look good if things go well. Give people a sense of the importance of what they're working on - its importance to the company, its importance to customers;

8. Take on projects yourself. You need to do more than communicate. The last thing people want is a boss who just doles out stuff. From time to time, prove you can be hands-on by taking on one of the less attractive tasks and using it as an example of how your employees should meet challenges;

9. Don't make the same decision twice. Spend the time and thought to make a solid decision the first time so that you don't revisit the issue unnecessarily. If you're too willing to reopen issues, it interferes not only with your execution but also with your motivation to make a decision in the first place. People hate indecisive leadership; However, that doesn't mean you have to decide everything the moment it comes to your attention. Nor that you can't ever reconsider a decision.

10. Let people know whom to please. Maybe it's you, maybe it's your boss, and maybe it's somebody who works for you. You're in trouble and risking paralysis in your organization when employees start saying to themselves: "Am I supposed to be making this person happy or this other person happy? They seem to have different priorities."

I don't pretend that these are the only 10 approaches a manager should keep in mind. There are lots of others. Just a month ago, I encouraged leaders to demand bad news before good news from their employees. But these 10 ideas may help you manage well, and I hope they do.

From Oman, Muscat
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Dear Mr. Adnan,

You didn't mention where you found these '10 Qualities' of a manager. Some lines indicate that the article was authored by Mr. Bill Gates (Microsoft). Please show respect to the author of the article when sharing content from the internet.

Regards,
Mammu :icon10:

From Djibouti
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Hi Adnan,

Thank you. You have expressed it so aptly. Besides knowing these qualities, what's more important is to practice them consistently in real-life situations. Even if someone can practice four of these, they can visualize tremendous and measurable improvement in their management skills. Most of the time, we apply these qualities (and adjust if necessary) based on our convenience. However, this approach does not yield good results in the long run.

Keep posting such valuable insights.

Regards,
Nimai

From India, Bangalore
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Mr. Mammu,

Thousands of articles are being published every day. Most of the articles are circulated without any information about the author. In this regard, it's quite difficult to search for the original author but they are circulated again for further information to other users.

So, as an internet user, you must be aware of this fact, and I believe you understand the problem.

Best Regards,

From Oman, Muscat
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Dear Mr. Adnan,

If you had read the article you posted above once, you wouldn't reply like this. In Quality Number 3, the second paragraph states:
"When I was building Microsoft, I set out to create an environment where software developers could thrive. I wanted a company where engineers liked to work. I wanted to create a culture that encouraged them to work together, share ideas, and remain motivated. If I hadn't been a software engineer myself, there's no way I could have achieved my goal."

The above-said first-person "I" is not you, right? Even my 7-year-old son can answer who that "I" is. All I ask of you is to say "Thanks" to that person. That's all. And I know you still don't have any idea what I am talking about, sorry.

Mammu :icon10:

From Djibouti
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As a student of MBA, these are specialties to being a good manager, particularly for HR persons. But here, I want to include one more factor: if a manager wants to become a good manager, he should do any work from his soul for the organization. Also, he has to think about it that the organization is like my home, which we have to care for. Then, he will not only be a manager but also become a good leader.
From India, Delhi
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Dear Mr. Mammu,

Is there any sentence claiming that I wrote this article? Of course, I'm thankful to the author of the article, but as I stated earlier, I don't know the author's name. Climbing to the sentence you reproduced below doesn't give a clear idea of its author as sometimes quotes from legends are reproduced to clarify the subject.

I believe you understand now.

Best Regards,

From Oman, Muscat
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Dear Mr. Mammu,

Is there any sentence claiming that I wrote this article? Of course, I'm thankful to the author of the article, but as I stated earlier, I don't know the author's name. Climbing to the sentence you reproduced below doesn't give a clear idea of its author as sometimes quotes from legends are reproduced to clarify the subject. I believe you understand now.

Best Regards,

If you had read the article you posted above once, you wouldn't reply like this. In Quality Number 3, the second paragraph states, "When I was building Microsoft, I set out to create an environment where software developers could thrive. I wanted a company where engineers liked to work. I wanted to create a culture that encouraged them to work together, share ideas, and remain motivated. If I hadn't been a software engineer myself, there's no way I could have achieved my goal."

The above-mentioned first person "I" is not referring to you, correct? Even my 7-year-old son can answer who that "I" is. If you still cannot understand who that "I" is, you may have a serious learning problem, I think. The sentence "When I built Microsoft..." should give you some enlightenment. Do you mean you don't know who built Microsoft?

THAT'S WHY THE INDIAN YOGIS SAID: DON'T RECITE VEDA IN A BUFFALO'S EAR!

Thank you for your great effort!

Mammu

From Djibouti
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Dear Adnan,

Thank you for the article. It was interesting to read and know the qualities of a good manager.

And Mr. Mammu, since a small kid can understand who had written this article, Adnan would have thought grown-ups like us too would understand who wrote this. So kindly oversee this.

From India, Delhi
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Dear Mr. Adnan,

One of the qualities of a good human being (which I believe ranks above the qualities of a manager) is to acknowledge one's mistakes, and the second is to give credit where it is due. I urge you to try to acquire them.

I assume you googled for this article, and if that's the case, you must have noticed dozens of people quoting these but mentioning Bill Gates as the source. It would have been nice if you had done the same too. At the very least, when pointed out by someone, have the courtesy to thank that person for it and then correct your mistake.

Do I need to say more?

Regards,
Kawaljit

From India, Chandigarh
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Dear Adnan, One must always give credit to the original author, whenever he/she reproduces some article. Otherwise, there will copy right threats.
From India, Mumbai
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Dear Adnan / Mammu,

Please note the source of the article is as given below:

Source: [http://www.btimes.co.za/97/1102/tech/tech6.htm](http://www.btimes.co.za/97/1102/tech/tech6.htm)

When written by Bill Gates, it may be important to know about the author, but there is no use in fighting over the author. We should learn good things even if the source is unknown... that seems merely putting your muscles to useless things.

Regards,
Syed Farhan

From Pakistan, Karachi
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Hi, It is good inputs,but in accademic arena when you use someone knowledge,you need to acknowledge him/her,otherwise it can be regarded as plagiarism. With best regards, Elisante Yona
From Tanzania
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Hello adnanalam:

"1. Choose a field thoughtfully."

Too many managers are in the wrong field and/or the wrong job.

"2. Hire carefully and be willing to fire."

Effective managers do not hire employees who need to be fired.

"3. Create a productive environment."

Unless the employer hires for talent, a productive environment will be very difficult to achieve and maintain.

Looks like Bill Gates is the author.

"4. Define success."

Excellent suggestion.

"Project schedules, for example, must be set by the people who do the work."

Another useful suggestion that will be dismissed or ignored by managers.

"5. To be a good manager, you have to like people and be good at communicating."

As a minimum. Good managers like their employees enough to be honest with them to help them succeed. Wanting to be liked is not enough.

"This is hard to fake."

That is so true and helps explain why articles about how to be a good manager seldom help managers become good managers.

"If you don't enjoy interacting with people, it'll be hard to manage them well."

This explains why so few managers are good at managing; they do not enjoy their job.

"6. Develop your people to do their jobs better than you can."

I agree, but I suspect that is very threatening to most managers who are afraid of being bypassed by more competent subordinates.

"Transfer your skills to them. This is an exciting goal, but it can be threatening to a manager who worries that he's training his replacement."

This fear is hard to overcome.

"There's no shortage of jobs for good managers. The world has an infinite amount of work to be done;"

I agree completely, but be aware that the best candidates make the best managers about 20% of the time. Hiring for talent helps identify future successful managers.

"7. Build morale."

Employers do not build morale. If employers manage well, morale will follow. Focus on managing well, not on morale building.

"8. Take on projects yourself."

Good advice.

"9. Don't make the same decision twice. Spend the time and thought to make a solid decision the first time so that you don't revisit the issue unnecessarily. If you're too willing to reopen issues, it interferes not only with your execution but also with your motivation to make a decision in the first place. People hate indecisive leadership; However, that doesn't mean you have to decide everything the moment it comes to your attention. Nor that you can't ever reconsider a decision."

I copied the whole paragraph because it is full of insight into effective decision-making.

"10. Let people know whom to please. Maybe it's you, maybe it's your boss, and maybe it's somebody who works for you. You're in trouble and risking paralysis in your organization when employees start saying to themselves: 'Am I supposed to be making this person happy or this other person happy? They seem to have different priorities.'"

"I don't pretend that these are the only 10 approaches a manager should keep in mind. There are lots of others. Just a month ago I encouraged leaders to demand bad news before good news from their employees. But these 10 ideas may help you manage well, and I hope they do."

I copied the whole paragraph because it is full of insight into effective management.

From United States, Chelsea
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Dear Kamath,

Thanks for your justification. When I posted this article, I did not know the author's name. As I mentioned in my last post regarding the subject, I just assumed that this article belonged to a reporter who was simply referring to Bill Gates' quotes, and I was not aware of that author either.

The sole purpose of posting this article was to share good information. However, Mr. Mammu assumed that I was trying to take credit for this article. I tried to convey my gratitude to the author, and of course, it is our moral obligation to do so. But when a person is not aware of the author or unintentionally forgets to write a thank-you message, he should not be blamed.

At this forum, our main motto is to improve our professionalism, and I will do my part.

Thanks once again.

From Oman, Muscat
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From Djibouti
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Hi, I have found this article very insightful. Thank you. Regarding the courtesy flaw, I think it should be overlooked because no one intentionally did so. At the same time, I respect Mr. Mammu's views on author's credit and plagiarism, but to err is human, and we do not have to take things too far in the professional world. Let's grow together!

Regards, Sweetu

From India, Ahmadabad
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I have been reading this thread for some time, and I have realized that Mr. Mammu's intention is not just to ensure that Mr. Bill Gates receives credit but also for himself. After reading Mr. Adnan's email to Mr. Kamath, I believe the discussion is concluded, and further argument is unnecessary.

Mr. Mammu, I suggest you leave it here and simply enjoy the article.

From India, Delhi
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