A good leader always strives for improvement. With this in mind, here are some tips from the Harvard Business Review on how to be a more effective manager.

Imagine You Have Reached Your Goals

Often frustration and anxiety stem from the impression that you have fallen short of your goals. The premonition of failure tends to exacerbate your problems. Instead, imagine that you have already attained the respect, loyalty, and success that you crave. You will find that this helps your confidence to increase.

Maintain Self Discipline to Get Things Done

As a manager, it is vital that you efficiently work through your to-do lists. To facilitate this, try tricks such as doing longer and more arduous tasks first, grouping similar tasks together to do at the same time, and setting deadlines to get a certain amount of things done.

Strive for Quality, Not Quantity

Multitasking inevitably diminishes the quality of your work. Take on one task at a time, and focus intently on that task until it is done well.

Take Time to Contemplate Your Situation

No matter how busy you are, it is important to schedule at least an hour each week to reflect upon important considerations such as feedback you have received, things that went well or poorly, conflicts with superiors or subordinates, and upcoming opportunities. This pause helps you perform more effectively in the future.

Start Fresh

As a thought exercise, imagine what would happen if you were fired and you had to start again. Consider what works well as it is, what you would do differently, and how to proceed going forward.

Be Adaptable

Avoid rigidity in your character traits and personality, especially as these attributes affect your work as a manager. Instead, consider your behavior in light of what is best for your team members, and be willing to adapt to changing circumstances and the needs of employees.

Keep a Balance in Leadership

Some managers are well-organized but dogmatic and rigid, while others are more casual in approach but empathetic and communicative. Rather than going too far to either extreme, keep an effective balance of leadership traits.

For more advice on how to be a better manager, contact Navigate Firm.