What Characteristics Does a Successful Operations Manager Need?

So, how do you know whether you’ve recruited a truly competent Operations Manager or General Manager for your company? Here are the key traits an operations manager needs to exhibit to be successful.

A focus on safety

Operations managers have direct responsibility for the safety of the individuals who work in your company as an Operations Manager. As a business owner, CEO, or Director, you bear this obligation as well. As a result, the first order of business for a new Operations Manager is to identify, analyse, and remedy any urgent safety concerns. Taking safety seriously indicates an operations manager’s devotion to their staff and gives them the opportunity to show that they are committed to the standards they establish – ensuring that productivity is never put before safety.

An Operations Manager should understand that, in addition to safety, every organization must address the demands of its consumers. This implies that before tackling cost-cutting, the Operations Manager will address quality and delivery concerns. It also implies that an Operations Manager would speak positively about consumers and be inquisitive to discover what they truly require and value from the company’s product or service.

As a business, it is likely that you will have professional indemnity insurance in place to protect your assets should things not quite go according to plan. However, the Operations Manager’s focus on safety can help prevent issues from arising.

They are humble and prioritize the needs of the team.

We frequently seek Operations Managers who are fearless, tenacious, confident, and decisive. These traits can be beneficial, but in my experience, the finest Operations Managers continuously put their employees in the spotlight. They will utilize “we” and “us” more than “I” while discussing their area’s projects and accomplishments. They may frequently let their staff present and take a back seat themselves during presentations. They will also defend and support their team, even if it means putting themselves at risk. However, when it comes to overseeing the performance of the individuals on their team, they will be decisive, fair, and consistent. They will cherish the experience around them and try to grow the individuals they have before passing over important jobs. However, they will also be prepared to question complacency and entrenched beliefs, which may entail challenging some of your long-serving subject matter experts.

An Operations Manager who demonstrates these attributes will earn the respect of their staff rather than assume it. This gained respect is often rewarded with the team comfortably following the direction the Operations Manager established and feeling comfortable with diverging from “the way we’ve always done it”.

They help people grow and don’t feel threatened by their peers or subordinates.

The best operations managers will aggressively promote and create chances for their senior team members, including allowing them to step up into the Operations Manager job during vacations and travel. They’ll feel at ease enabling their employees to make decisions and accept full responsibility for some elements of the company. They will always stand by their team, even if their actions are incorrect (they will never put a team member “under the bus”). They will, however, make certain that their team is held accountable for the decisions they make and the duties they accept.

They will work hard to foster peer relationships and welcome peer input and participation. They will not criticize or talk about their peers (especially to their team). They will also not accept “them and us” attitudes in their team, which may damage cross-functional connections and negatively affect customer service.

When things go wrong, they wonder why it wasn’t them.

A smart Operations Manager will not waste your time moaning about their subordinates or colleagues. They will concentrate on the process rather than the individual. When things go wrong, they’ll wonder why and try to figure out what’s causing the issue. This can be challenging and time-consuming at first when there are numerous difficulties (it’s much easier to blame someone! ), but it is a time investment you must make in the medium run if your firm is to enhance performance permanently.