Skills of Management

Interpersonal Skills:

Effective managers must:

• Work and communicate with other people and understand their perspectives and needs

• Relate to people and create and maintain positive relationships with peers and staff

• High degree of emotional intelligence to empathise and anticipate human needs of staff

Communication Skills:

Effective managers must:

• Think carefully about what they say, how they say it and the medium used to communicate messages.

• Use body language and facial expressions to convey authenticity (85% of a message is physical)

• Ensure communication is clear, explicit and concise. It must be targeted and useful. 

Vision:

Effective managers:

• Have a clear sense of direction that is easily shared, allowing others to follow.

• See the big picture; knowing what the business is all about, where its headed and why its headed there.

• Take positive steps into the unknown future, and create it rather than being forced to react to it.

Strategic Thinking:

Effective Managers:

• Can see patterns in complex situations and determine the best pathway forward to gain advantage.

• Visualise how teams and individuals interrelate to get the best from staff

• Understand the impacts and consequences of all decisions for the firm; can look ahead to see how scenarios might play out.

Problem-Solving:

Effective managers have:

• A systematic approach to resolving issues within the firm; leaving emotion aside when necessary

• The ability to find problems when others cannot see them, and then implementing course of action to address it.

• The ability to prioritise problems (some are bigger than others) and decide which ones to give full attention.

Flexibility and Adaptability: 

Effective managers:

• Must deal well with change; must embrace change as the reality of all business.

• Must be able to apply their skills to a variety of business situations and find solutions under time pressure.

• Must anticipate change and proactively adjust to changing circumstances to maintain competitive advantage.