For those in managerial and other leadership positions, choosing a second-in-command is an important task, which if done wrong it could have serious consequences. The assistant manager is the bridge between the manager, that’s you, and the rest of the subordinate staff. In many cases, they are more directly responsible for the day-to-day running of the office than you are.
The assistant manager is both a leader and a subordinate, and must be able to act in both ways simultaneously. For such a position of responsibility, there are several attributes to look out for. These include:
1. Leadership
Your assistant manager is not simply your link to your other subordinates, they are also a leader in their own right. In your absence, they are the organization’s authority and will need to act in such a way. While leadership is learnable on the job, it is often best to pick a candidate who has proven that they are able to lead and handle responsibility. Furthermore, this candidate must be able to motivate staff, enforce company policies, and mete out punishment when required.
2. Humility
Your assistant manager is doubtlessly in a senior position to ground level staff, but they lose a measure of their utility when they become too proud to properly relate to them. The assistant manager is in a better position to interact with the staff, gauge their morale, ascertain their issues, and sort through their complaints for relevance. Their findings can then be reported to you to at which point you will select the appropriate course of action. An arrogant assistant manager will alienate the staff and create an unnecessary barrier between management and the staff.
3. Anticipation
A large part of a manager’s job is “putting out fires”. These, generally, metaphorical fires refer to the many problems that might arise in the workplace on a day-to-day basis. Solving them is essential to maintaining the company. However, the company will not function effectively if these issues are only solved when they occur. A good assistant manager must be able to anticipate their occurrence and prepare for them in advance. Pre-empting these issues is the only way to ensure that the company maintains efficiency at all times.
4. Communication
This refers to the ability to efficiently share and receive information and to analyze this information. It might sound easy, but it is not. Not everyone has the proper ability to listen to their subordinates and customers, while giving their message the proper gravity. Sharing information is similarly difficult for many as it requires a proper mix of both confidence and articulacy. A potential assistant manager will have to regularly communicate with a wide range of people, it is crucial that they do it well.
5. Initiative
Your assistant manager, as with every other employee under you, will operate chiefly based on your orders. However, this position will sometimes require them to make decisions and take actions in your absence. This might involve solving a problem, dealing with a customer, making a business decision, and other such situations. You need someone that you can trust to make the right decision on their own, who you’re sure can act appropriately on their own. Initiative refers to their ability to analyze each situation and to take the best decisions each time, all without your supervision.
6. Planning and Execution
Through the course of business, there will be planning required for a variety of situations. To make efficient plans, one needs the ability to effectively analyze the situation and the steps required to achieve the desired. Executing the plan is similarly difficult as it requires a steady hand able to effect the actions previously detailed in the plan, either by themselves or by delegating to others. In addition, they will need adapt to any unforeseen occurrences. A designated assistant manager will need to make and execute plans on a regularly basis.
7. Willingness to follow instruction
A number of the previously stated attributes emphasize that an assistant manager is a leader in the company, and that they must be able to act as such on a regular basis. However, it is just as important to note that they are still subordinates to you. This means that they have to be able to receive and execute your orders, to the letter if necessary. An assistant manager who is independent beyond your requirement is more of a liability than an asset. The ideal assistant must be able to follow instruction when you give it, and be able to act on their own when you require and ask them to.
8. Ambition
Ambition refers to the willingness of an employee, or a potential employee, to continuously improve themselves and whatever team they are on. Without ambition, the most anyone or any business can reasonable hope for is to maintain the current level of success. In the business world, where a business either moves forward or dies, this is entirely unacceptable. You need an employee who will do more than follow the motions and fill quotas, someone who wants to see improvement at all times.
9. Intelligence
Ambition is a good attribute that leaves the door open to growth, but without the adequate knowledge of how to achieve that growth, it is unachievable. Intelligence in this context refers to the assistant’s data gathering skills, creativity, cleverness, understanding of industry trends, and their ability to come up with effective ideas. An intelligent assistant raises the chances of the business flourishing.
An assistant manager is in a crucial position for the manager, the organization, and all employees. However, it might be difficult to find a person who instantly displays all the above attributes from the get-go. Leadership development courses are available if you have a candidate that shows promise, but you want to ensure they perform at their peak. In addition, it is important that you set an example for your subordinates by displaying quality managerial attributes. These will give them something to emulate and benefit you in the long run.
