Effective Management Skills

Management is defined as the organization and coordination of the activities of a business in order to achieve defined objectives. Often included as a factor of production along with? machines, materials, and money. 

To be a great manager, you must have an extensive set of skills. This because you are responsible for making sure that things are done properly. And while leaders may bring us vision, inspiration and challenge. These things count for nothing without the efficient implementation brought about by good management.

Key and Critical Management Skills

1.Skills in Dealing with People

These are competencies required in managerial and supervisory positions. It is about the ability to determine activities and projects toward measurable goals and standards. Setting these in collaboration with others so as to arrive at a clear understanding and elicit commitment.

Establishing Focus:

The ability to develop and communicate goals in support of the business’ mission. Such as ensures that everyone understands and identifies with the unit’s mission.

Providing Motivational Support:

The ability to enhance others commitment to their work. For instance give talks or presentations that energize groups. Expresses pride in the group and encourages people to feel good about their accomplishments.

Fostering Teamwork:

As a team member, the ability and desire to work cooperatively with others on a team as a team leader. The ability to demonstrate interest, skill, and success in getting groups to learn to work together.

Empowering Others:

The ability to convey confidence in employees’ ability to be successful, especially at challenging new tasks. Delegating significant responsibility and authority. A allowing employees freedom to decide how they will accomplish their goals and resolve issues.

Managing Change:

The ability to demonstrate support for innovation and for organizational changes needed to improve the organization’s effectiveness.

Managing Performance:

The ability to take responsibility for one’s own or one’s employees’ performance. By setting clear goals and expectations, tracking progress against the goals, ensuring feedback.

Effective Communication:

The ability to ensure that information is passed on to others who should be kept informed. Ensures that others involved in a project or effort are kept informed about developments and plans.

Influencing Others:

The ability to gain others’ support for ideas, proposals, projects, and solutions. Presents arguments that address others’ most important concerns and issues and looks for win-win solutions.

2. Skills in Dealing with Business

should be focused on problem solving, management, interpersonal and marketing skills.

Diagnostic Information Gathering:

The ability to identify the information needed to clarify a situation, seek that information from appropriate sources, and use skillful questioning to draw out the information, when others are reluctant to disclose it. Identifies the specific information needed to clarify a situation or to make a decision

Analytical Thinking: 

The ability to tackle a problem by using a logical, systematic, sequential approach.Makes a systematic comparison of two or more alternatives. Notices discrepancies and inconsistencies in available information.

Forward Thinking:

The ability to anticipate the implications and consequences of situations and take appropriate action to be prepared for possible contingencies. Anticipates possible problems and develops contingency plans in advance. Notices trends in the industry or marketplace and develops plans to prepare for opportunities or problems.

Conceptual Thinking:

The ability to find effective solutions by taking a holistic, abstract, or theoretical perspective. By noticing similarities between different and apparently unrelated situations. Quickly identifies the central or underlying issues in a complex situation.

Strategic Thinking: 

The ability to analyze the organization’s competitive position. Considering market and industry trends, existing and potential customers.  Strengths and weaknesses as compared to competitors. Understands the organization’s strengths and weaknesses as compared to competitors

Technical Expertise: 

The ability to demonstrate depth of knowledge and skill in a technical
area. Applying technical knowledge to solve a range of problems. Possesses an in-depth knowledge and skill in a technical area.

Results Orientation: 

The ability to focus on the desired result of one’s own or one’s unit’s work, setting challenging goals, focusing effort on the goals, and meeting or exceeding them. Develops challenging but achievable goals. Develop clear goals for meetings and projects.

Decisiveness:

The ability to make difficult decisions in a timely manner. Is willing to make decisions in difficult or ambiguous situations, when time is critical. Takes charge of a group when it is necessary to facilitate change, overcome an impasse and face issues.

3. Self-Management Skills

Demonstrates awareness, accurate assessment and control of one’s own emotional state, attitudes, beliefs system, image and strengths. Done in a way to maintain momentum, personal effectiveness and emotional stability. Even in the face of adversity, provocation, stress and or high workload.

Self Confidence: 

Faith in one’s own ideas and capability to be successful such  willingness to take an independent position in the face of opposition.

Stress Management: 

The ability to keep functioning effectively when under pressure and maintain self control in the face of hostility or provocation. Examples; to remain calm under stress. Effectively handle several problems or tasks at once.

Personal Credibility:

Demonstrated concern that one be perceived as responsible, reliable, and trustworthy.  Doing  what one  commits themselves to do. Respect the confidentiality of information or concerns shared by others.

Flexibility:

Openness to different and new ways of doing things. Willingness to modify one’s preferred way of doing things. Is able to see the merits of perspectives other than their own. Demonstrates openness to new organizational structures, procedures, and technology.

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