10 Must-Have Skills for Managers
Management is an appealing and often misunderstood aspect of the modern business world. While the view from the trenches might make it seem like the life of a manager is a path towards easy street, in reality a manager must not only handle the concerns, problems, and needs of the workers he or she is responsible for, but also stay in touch with overall company policies and strategies. Managers may also be asked to evaluate the state of a department and its role at the company, which can be a difficult task if one isn’t prepared and doesn’t have the proper tools or background to get the job done.
Let’s take a look at 10 must-have management skills that are vital to anyone looking to excel in this challenging field.
- Communication. It might seem obvious, but the best laid plans for running a department or helping workers get the most productivity out of their time are no good to anyone if they stay locked up inside of your head. Good managers know how to connect with employees both one on one and in a group setting, and they can also summarize and present data to other managers and company leaders in easy-to-understand formats.
- Delegation. No one can be all things to all people, and learning how to recognize individual strengths and then delegating work to people in a way that maximizes their unique skill set is a critical aspect of management.
- Making Decisions. The choices might be tough, and the answers might not be clear but everyone in the room is looking to you to make the decision. Right or wrong, managers can’t afford to waffle and this means being able to confidently choose a course of action and then follow it through until it is time to evaluate the results.
- Long- and Short-Term Planning. The choices that you make as a manager can’t be in a vacuum – they have to be part of plans that take care of immediate needs and also set things up so that you are in a position to meet long-term strategic goals in the future.
- Evaluating Staff Performance. Employees rely on your evaluation of their work performance to tell them where they need to improve. Providing feedback in this area not only helps workers concentrate on where they need to put in more effort, but it also helps you to get a feel for who is contributing what in your organization.
- Providing Motivation. Not everyone gets up in the morning excited to go to work. If someone on your team seems to be distracted, or doesn’t have the same spark they once did, it’s up to you to help them find their way back to the right path. You also need to be able to pull the group together as one and get them motivated to accomplish a common goal.
- Solving Problems. It’s clear that as a manager you will be expected to solve any of the problems that come your way during day-to-day business. What might not be obvious is that you will also need to develop the skills required to anticipate issues before they present themselves, and have a course of action ready to quickly put into place.
- Hiring of New Staff. You might not be in charge of the interview process, but you must be able to impress upon Human Resources what you are looking for in an employee in terms of qualities and skills, as well as what demands the job will make. You will need to be able to properly evaluate candidates to determine what kind of fit they would be for your department.
- Basic Finance. No one is asking you to be an accountant, but understanding the financial details surrounding your budget, the company’s overall spending, and the dollar figures associated with your employees, their activities, and their contributions will give you the context you need to succeed as a manager.
- Terminating Employment. How you let someone go is just as important as how you go about hiring a replacement. There’s a right way to fire an employee, or let them know they have been laid off, that can save you legal and organizational headaches down the road.
