Being a manager is not about just having a fancy title that emanates a position of responsibility. It is about having the innate ability to work well with people in such a way as to achieve positive results.

A management position holds a different set of principles for every role but one thing which remains certain is that each new promotion will involve a change in skills and the time spent on them. For example, a managerial position in IT will require skills related to technology whereas a retail manager requires the art of being able to deal with people effectively, highlighting their strengths, encouraging and communicating with them.

Before becoming a successful manager, there are many skills that you need to possess. One rule of thumb is to associate past mistakes as learning curves. If you are unsure of your strengths and weaknesses, ask someone to provide constructive feedback so as you can make improvements on the weaker areas.

Try focusing on one particular skill for a day and train your mind to look at a situation from a number of different perspectives. This will move you away from any habitual habits of thinking and help you to see the bigger picture.

Lend an ear: Some manager's fall in love with the sound of their own voice, and forget to listen. Listening is actually more important than talking. With emphasis on teamwork, listening is vital and requires the correct attitude and mindset. This can be difficult when there are 1001 pressing other tasks waiting for your undivided attention. However, the speaker may be able to offer a new idea or approach that will benefit the business.

Speak with clarity: Being a manager calls for great communication skills as you have to build up good internal dialogue between higher management/subordinates and external dialogue between clients and suppliers. With effective communication employees know exactly what is expected of them and will perform their jobs on time and correctly. It is important that speech is also positive. This in turn, promotes efficient and effective performance from your team which elevates customer loyalty and boosts profits.

Communication should also be two way and employees should be encouraged to ask questions, open discussions and express their own thoughts, ideas and feelings. Feedback is an excellent way of making the best practices known and should be a vital cog in the overall performance of the company.

The whole truth and nothing but: Trust is a vital element for a harmonic and synergistic working environment. Companies that have built up strong trust amongst their employees are more successful than those who have not. This level of trustworthiness must spiral from management down to every department. If you make promises, ensure that you keep them and never compromise the truth, no matter how difficult it may be to convey the cold, hard facts. By viewing all of your employees as equal partners, trust becomes easier to build up even if it is with John who only joined the company last week.

Sharing feelings: By showing empathy, you demonstrate that you understand how or why people feel a certain way. This gives you the opportunity to turn any of their negatives into positives. Hone into your intuition...that gut feeling when you sense how people feel. When you are connected at this level, you gain a deep, mutual respect which harmonizes throughout the workplace.

Some friendly persuasion: Combine the four skills above and you have the ingredients for being an effective communicator. Whether you are trying to sell a service to a customer or convince the boss that you are worthy of a bigger budget, people will find it harder to resist your requirements. The primary advantage to becoming a manager is that is gives you the power to be able to deal with bigger things. When you are in charge of a team and you work together to achieve positive results, it should fill your heart with pride.

Recognize the positives in your staff and do not be afraid to give some positive feedback. Positivity breeds positivity so give them some genuine and meaningful praise when they have excelled themselves and keep that level of motivation consistent.

Good managers should welcome and give credit for good ideas and show genuine respect for workers as individuals and as a team. Goals should be considered shared visions which benefit each and every team member. This is the key ingredient for collaborative teamwork.

You might also want to take a look at the way that you conduct yourself as your emotions will affect the workplace. Look for the same emotional triggers in your employees as you have in yourself and you will recognize when feelings are running high. When you are in tune with your team it is easier to manage any situation before it creates a ripple effect throughout the office.

Make your work environment a place where your staff know they will be respected and encouraged to do their best. Somewhere where they can focus on developing their skills and will be appreciated for their expertise. Make them feel wonderful about going to work and you will have no trouble holding onto them.

You may be able to offer the best benefit package or the largest salary in the world but if you do not build up a great relationship with your team, your productivity will take a nose dive.

You become a successful manager by being able to accomplish your objectives through leading people. Therefore being a manager means having great people skills first and foremost.