Managerial effectiveness is a topic that is commonly discussed in companies or work meetings, even in universities, as part of the training of professionals in the economic and administrative sciences, however, we rarely really analyze what it is about, what means, what elements make it up or how to promote it.
To speak of effectiveness, is to speak of results and compliance, and therefore, a question arises: how effective and efficient are managers in organizations? Within the multiple definitions, it can be pointed out that an effective person is the one who fulfills the objectives that were entrusted to him, and using his creativity, intelligence and methods, he usually has positive results and he does it repeatedly. When a person achieves objectives, optimizing the resources available to him, it is when we are in the presence of an efficient person. Efficiency is understood as the quality of a human being to achieve goals with economy of resources.
The mixture of these two qualities, effectiveness and efficiency, allows to determine EFFECTIVENESS. Which is a most valuable quality for the success of companies and organizations.
An element that the manager must take into account to be effective is the ability to be assertive, a person has an assertive behavior, when he is direct, honest and respectful when in contact with people.
A manager with assertive style, solves problems, is at ease with others, feels satisfied, at ease with himself, relaxed, in control, creates and manufactures most opportunities, likes and likes others, is good for everyone. Your favorite words, I think, I feel, I want, let's do, how can we solve this? What do you think? Or what do you think? An assertive person's nonverbal language is characterized by constant smiling, loose and moving hands, upright posture, direct eye contact, and firm gestures.
Another element for managerial effectiveness is creativity, which we can understand as the ability to invent or create something new or to relate something known in an innovative way, as well as to deviate from habitual patterns of thought and behavior.
For a person to be creative, they must have six necessary resources: intelligence, knowledge, thinking styles (ability to use intelligence), personality (taking risks and overcoming obstacles), motivation (extrinsic or intrinsic) and environmental context.1
A third element that the manager must take into account in order to be effective is conflict management, which, if it is not attended to in a timely and intelligent manner, despite being insignificant and small, can generate disagreement and stress among its collaborators..
For the management of conflicts in companies, it is recommended:
1.- To listen to all opinions, the manager must have the quality of listening with respect, no matter how vehement the disagreement is. Conflicts must be treated professionally and not personally.
2.- Brainstorming for the optimal solution, consists of bringing the parties together, asking them to contribute ideas for the solution, taking care not to disqualify any of them, the objective is to identify the needs and solutions that both parties will accept.
3.- Analyze the different options, Identify the options presented, visualize what results each of the proposed solutions will have and prioritize according to the acceptance of the parties in relation to those options.
4.- Achieve a consensus, it is important to define the objective, establish performance measurement indicators and the monitoring plan.
Teamwork is another element of high consideration for the effective manager, it is important to point out that it does not mean "working together", but really it is a philosophy of life and organization, it is to think that in a joint, orderly and a harmonious environment each one of the team members commits to the company's objectives and allows everyone and individually to comply with the precept of win-win and grow-grow.
One of the qualities that an effective manager must also have is his ability to manage time, this is a group effort, it is directly related to the coordination of activities, mutual aid and joint synchronization.
Some of the recommendations for proper time management are:
1.-Define personal and company objectives and associate it with the activities necessary to achieve them.
2.- Keep a record of your activities, appointments and pending and completed tasks.
3.- Prioritize your pending activities.
4.-Delegate activities.
5.- Learn to say "NO".
6.- Live in the present, focus on the activity you are doing right now.
7.- Be punctual, the busiest people are the most punctual, because they give greater value to the effective use of time.
8.- Your work meetings do not last more than 30 minutes, send the agenda and the information to be treated for decision-making, in advance, so that at the meeting, where appropriate, only agreements are made and they do not use Time to put each item on the agenda in context.
The effective Manager must also know and correctly apply body language, which we can describe as that communication that is transmitted through gestures and postures. Through body language, non-verbal emotions that people transmit are analyzed, and that a person who knows this subject has valuable information that allows him to be effective.
Body language provides us with valuable information about the character, decisions, feelings, emotions and reactions of individuals. We must pay attention to key aspects such as eyes, face, posture, gestures and voice.
It is important that you establish visual contact with your interlocutor, this reveals determination, sincerity and courage. If you bite your lips or wet your lips with your tongue, these are signs of shyness, indecision, or insecurity. When sitting, keep both feet on the floor, this suggests self-confidence.
A person who wants to distinguish himself or show his superiority takes advantage of certain circumstances, here are some examples: The waiting time, this represents status for the person who makes him wait, the longer he makes a person wait, the higher hierarchy he has over the one who waits, if a person is attended immediately, it is a sign of the importance that it has towards the person with whom you are going to interview.
There are signs in our interlocutor that we can identify and know what it means, the palm of the hand open at all times, it is a gesture of sincere people, on the other hand, the closed fist, indicates that it is a person who reveals nervous or hidden tension the truth; If the person sits and crosses the leg at a 90o angle at the knee level, he is ambitious or competitive, while a person who sits on one leg suggests a conformist personality.
That is why assertiveness, creativity, conflict management, teamwork, time management and body language are skills that managers must strengthen and thereby achieve the established commitments. The success of a company or organization is in the hands of managers, who currently must know and master different techniques, methodologies, systems and concepts that allow managing resources and the human factor, that with the diversity of thought and interests, It makes a true work of art, making them work day by day and bringing them to the fulfillment of the objectives established by businessmen or officials and to be able to identify their performance and management as effective management.
1. Sternberg, RJ (1988). A three-facet model of creativity. The nature of creativity. New York: Cambridge University Press.
