Management skills

Welcome to the weekend. This week flew past almost without incident in the Nigerian airspace. We will continue with looking at management skills this week.

Management skills can be defined as certain attributes or abilities that an executive should possess to fulfil specific tasks in an organization. They include the capacity to perform executive duties while avoiding crisis situations and promptly solving problems when they occur.

Management skills can be developed through learning and practical experience as a manager. These help the manager to relate with their fellow managers and know how to deal well with their subordinates, allows for the easy flow of activities.

Managers must be accountable for every decision they make and also be willing to take responsibility for the results of their decisions

These skills are vital for any organization to succeed. Management and leadership skills are often used interchangeably as they both involve planning, decision-making, problem-solving, communication, delegation, and time management. Good managers are almost always good leaders as well.

In addition to leading, a critical role of a manager is to also ensure that all parts of the organization are functioning cohesively. Without such integration, challenges can arise and failure is bound to happen. Management skills are crucial for various positions and at different levels of a company, from top leadership to intermediate supervisors to first-

There are three main kinds of leadership skills.

Technical skills give the managers the ability and the knowledge to use a variety of techniques to achieve their objectives. These skills not only involve operating machines and software, production tools, and pieces of equipment but also the skills needed to boost sales, design different types of products and services, and market the services and the products.

Conceptual skills are the ones managers present in terms of the knowledge and ability for abstract thinking and formulating ideas. The manager can see an entire concept, analyse, and diagnose a problem, and find creative solutions. This helps the manager effectively predict hurdles their department or the business may face.

The human or the interpersonal skills present the managers’ ability to interact, work or relate effectively with people, thereby utilising human potential in the organisation and able to motivate the employees for better results.

There is a wide range of skills that management should possess to run an organization effectively and efficiently. The following are six essential management skills

Planning is a vital aspect within an organization. It refers to one’s ability to organize activities in line with set guidelines while remaining within the limits of the available resources such as time, money, and labour. It is also the process of formulating a set of actions or one or more strategies to pursue and achieve certain goals or objectives with the available resources.

The planning process includes identifying and setting achievable goals, developing necessary strategies, and outlining the tasks and schedules on how to achieve the set goals. Without a good plan, little can be achieved.

Possessing great communication skills is crucial for a manager. It can determine how well information is shared throughout a team, ensuring that the group acts as a unified workforce. How well a manager communicates with the rest of his/her team also determines how well outlined procedures can be followed, how well the tasks and activities can be completed, and thus, how successful an organization will be.

Communication involves the flow of information within the organization, whether formal or informal, verbal or written, vertical or horizontal, and it facilitates the smooth functioning of the organization. Clearly established communication channels in an organization allow the manager to collaborate with the team, prevent conflicts, and resolve issues as they arise. A manager with good communication skills can relate well with the employees and, thus, be able to achieve the company’s set goals and objectives easily.

Another vital management skill is decision-making. Managers make numerous decisions, whether knowingly or not, and making decisions is a key component in a manager’s success. The success and smooth running of the organisation hinges on making clear, proper, and right decisions.

Managers must be accountable for every decision they make and also be willing to take responsibility for the results of their decisions.

Delegation is another key management skill. Delegation is the act of passing on work-related tasks and/or authorities to other employees or subordinates. It involves the process of allowing your tasks or those of your employees to be reassigned or reallocated to other employees depending on current workloads. A manager with good delegation skills can effectively and efficiently reassign tasks and give authority to the right employees. When delegation is carried out effectively, it helps facilitate efficient task completion.

Delegation helps the manager with time management, optimizes productivity, and ensures responsibility and accountability from all concerned.

Problem-solving is another essential skill. A good manager must have the ability to tackle and solve the frequent problems that can arise in a typical workday. Problem-solving in management involves identifying a certain problem or situation and then finding the best way to handle the problem to get the best solution. Proficient problem-solving skills differentiates managers from the rest of the team and gives subordinates confidence in their managerial skills.

The ability to motivate and coach are important skills. Motivation and coaching encourages a desired behaviour or response from the employees or certain stakeholders. Choosing the right motivational tactic (intrinsic and extrinsic) can depend on characteristics such as organisational and team culture, team personalities, to mention a few.

While different roles and organizations require the use of various skill sets, management skills help a professional stand out and excel no matter what their level. In executive management, these skills are essential to run an organization well and achieve desired business objectives.

I will be giving a free training to new undergraduates next week on work place skills like Time Management, TQM, Understanding people and such like. Wish me the best.