What attributes make a good Healthcare manager?

While your expertise and achievements in your career to date may have contributed to you gaining promotion, this new position will place a whole new set of demands on you and requires a very different set of skills. From now on your success will no longer depend on just your abilities and knowledge; you will only do well if others do their jobs well.

Once you were one of them, part of the team, responsible for your own actions and no one else’s. But now all that has changed. You are responsible for everyone in your team, making sure that they all do their jobs right and righting their wrongs. You will act as the buffer between the senior management team and the troops on the ground. And on top of all that you’ll be expected to do your own job too.

The stresses and pressures endured by senior members of staff are arguably more acute in the health and social care sectors than any other. Few industries are under such close scrutiny and accountability for everything they do. And if anyone in your team makes a mistake, it’s your job to take the rap for it. All of which require managers with a certain set of skills and attributes.

Good managers are those who have a clearly defied set of boundaries that their team adhere to, from knowing where to be and when to be there and the consequences for breaking these. Its not about rule-setting per se, it’s about ensuring bath your team works together as an effective unit where each members actions has an effect on everyone else’s.

Good managers are also the people who challenge to get the best for their team. If they need better computers, get them. If their equipment is out of date, replace it with new versions. When your staff has the best tools needed to perform their jobs they will feel more motivated.

Knowing how to praise individuals and share team success is important as is allowing your staff to make mistakes; as the Chinese proverb says: ‘Tell me and I’ll remember for an hour; show me and I’ll remember for a day; but, let me do it and I’ll remember for ever.’

And finally, if you are prepared to fight for your team, have trust in them and ensure that everyone knows what is expected of them you will be an effective manager.

Wondering what to do now? Check out our expert career advice, find out more about the Healthcare industry or search for the latest Healthcare jobs.