Have you ever worked for an organisation where there is a manager who is described as brilliant, but not a very good manager? That person may well be “brilliant” but the thing they are not brilliant at is management. The faults of these exceptional individuals can vary from a genuine shyness to an almost certifiable lack of soft skills training. One thing is certain, if those people are highly valued they need to engage in some one-to-one management training in order to improve their communication skills and personal skills.

In the worst cases, these managers will avoid eye contact with staff as they slide into their office. A manager needs to demonstrate charisma. If you are leading people, you should be presenting them with open body language, and preferably a smile, whenever you see them.

However, some might see the above as ‘nice to have’, but not essential. Unfortunately the lack of social niceties is usually the tip of the iceberg. It really doesn’t matter how busy a manager is, their prime job has to be to manage their team. They should therefore manage their time so that they communicate clearly and regularly with their staff. Regular memos, team briefings or personal development training and reviews can all be appropriate measures.