You have spent a reasonable amount of time in a company and your performance rating has been speaking well about your contribution. You are expecting a raise as well as a promotion in your next appraisal. The thought of stepping into the supervising role is both exciting as well as challenging. So you ask yourself, if you are ready for it?



One way to figure this out is to simply understand that managers are expected to work more independently. Additionally, managers need to become responsible for their team as well. So being a manager requires not only knowledge-based, but certain behavioral skills also. So here are five traits that can help you confirm if you are manager-material or not. 

1. you are good at training others

You have reached a stage where you feel that you have learnt all that was there to learn in your current role. There have been instances where you have been assigned the task to train new employees or manage a workshop. You are also proactive in sensing when you are needed to share your knowledge with others. If these statements hold true for you, then it means that you are ready to step into the role of a coach. These are signs that not only you enjoy coaching, you are also good at it. According to a Society of Human Resources Management (SHRM)-Globoforce survey, 93% managers need training on coaching employees. It is good that you have the natural talent for something that is crucial to be a good manager. 

 

2. you are a good communicator

This is one trait that goes a long way for any manager. You cannot supervise or motivate your team if you are not good at communication. Be it written or verbal, communication forms the basis of your inter-personal work relationships. The SHRM-Globoforce employee recognition survey shows that the trend towards continuous conversations and feedback in organizations is growing. From the moment you step into a managerial role, you are expected to communicate on multiple levels. If you think you have been doing well on this front with your manager, teammates, vendors, etc. then this is a great skill to have as a manager.

 

3. your goals are aligned with your organization’s

A study published by Woohoo Inc. said that one of biggest causes of a bad day at work was ‘uncertainty about the workplace’s vision or strategy’. About 37% employees said that they felt demotivated at work because they did not have a clarity of their organizations long-term goals. Are you aware of your company’s vision and mission? Do you also feel motivated to work towards them? If the answer to the above questions is yes, then chances are that you will enjoy a managerial role in this company. 

 

4. you can provide goals and objectives to others 

Do you have the tendency to stay abreast with your overall team’s targets? Do you also have ideas to improve the efficiency of your team? Do you like to assess your tasks on the basis of your team’s long-term goals? If your answer to these questions is positive, then you are quite possibly ready to define the goals and set objectives for a team. According to a Harvard Business Review (HBR) study, 59% of successful leaders say that the ability to ‘provide goals and objectives with guidelines and directions to achieve those’ is one of the top 10 leadership competencies. 

 

5. you are known to be a positive co-worker

A manager is required to manage - people. A team usually looks up to their manager for a positive attitude in times of greater work pressure. In addition to this, the Woohoo Inc. study showed that another big cause (39%) of a bad day at work was ‘negative co-workers’. 

By now you must be aware if you are good with people or not. If you evaluate yourself to be a cordial and easy-to-work-with co-worker, then being a manager should come easy to you.



In conclusion, if you possess these traits and see your career graph moving towards a managerial responsibility, then it is time to seize the opportunity. Be open to new challenges that shall come along and get ready to take a step closer to growth. 

about the author
yashab giri new
yashab giri new

yeshab giri

chief commercial officer - staffing & RT professionals

yeshab is responsible for leading the development and expansion of randstad India’s value added staffing services which currently encompass field force, engineering and technology roles.