What is your definition of a good manager?
When I ask participants in my writing seminars that question, I often hear responses such as "A good manager is someone who inspires" and "who motivates."
I hear "A good manager is someone who creates trust" and "who cares." I hear "someone who knows what he's talking about" and "who knows her stuff." And I hear "someone who appreciates my work" and "who delegates" and "doesn't micromanage."
But most often I hear "A good manager is someone who communicates clearly" and "who articulates expectations."
Management guru Peter Drucker, author of more than three dozen books, including "The Effective Executive" and "Managing for Results," says good managers motivate and communicate, thereby performing an "integrating" function that encourages individuals to coalesce into teams.
A couple of months ago I had the pleasure of working with a particularly well-managed team in West Chester, Pa. The team members were bright, energetic and motivated. They also were clearly enjoying themselves, both in my seminar and in their work. It was evident they were working in an environment where expectations were high and their efforts were recognized. In other words, they felt both challenged and secure — in contrast to the environment created by the "toxic" leaders in the U.S. Army and elsewhere we've been reading and hearing about in the news.
The first thing I noticed was the care with which the managers planned the seminar.
The initial query I received was from the training and communication manager, who carefully explained changes in the company since I had last offered training there and since it had acquired a business in West Chester. She went on to outline six topics of interest: writing in active voice; keeping messaging simple and direct; writing clear, concise sentences; eliminating wordiness and business jargon; using the three-step approach to design effective e-mails; and proofreading effectively.
