Photo by Yan Krukov from Pexels
“The skills you need to manage are not the same skills you needed in your role as an expert contributor. Management is a job in and of itself, and to master this role (just like you did your last one), you’ll need a new set of management skills in your toolbelt.” Officevibe
The number and type of management skills differ depending upon the author. However, most agree that the skills are heavily weighted with interpersonal management and communication skills.
Let’s consider these seven key management skills:
- Clear and effective communication.
When making assignments, the task and specific performance expectations must be clear. The employee needs to understand why these are important. In times of upheaval, employees need to be kept up to date even when there is little change, so they don’t worry that they’ll be left out of the loop.
- Time management.
Managers give employees context, so they know how to prioritize their work. They help them learn how to work both efficiently and effectively, and how to say “no” when appropriate.
- Team building.
Trust is essential between the manager and employees as well as between the employees themselves. Managers develop rapport with each employee and let them and the rest of the team know why they are essential to the effectiveness of the team.
- Delegation.
Managers delegate assignments that take advantage of employee’s strengths or help them build desired strengths with stretch assignments. They make sure to provide sufficient decision-making autonomy.
- Problem-solving.
Managers help employees learn how to analyze problems, discover root causes, identify alternative solutions, and select the most effective solutions to implement.
- Constructive feedback.
Performance feedback needs to be timely, specific, and constructive. Managers should use a coaching approach, so the responsibility for proposing how to remedy performance issues first lies on the employee’s shoulders. This way there will be buy-in to make the necessary behavioral changes. It is also important for managers to provide feedback that acknowledges consistent effort and recognizes positive performance.
- Emotional intelligence.
Effective managers are self-aware, regulate their emotions, and are highly motivated and able to motivate and inspire their employees. They are aware and considerate of their employees’ feelings and have the social skills to develop strong and trusting relationships with their peers and employees.
All of these skills take time and practice to become a permanent part of a manager’s toolkit.
That is why The Peer Learning Institute uses discrete issue-targeted modules that break out the different components of each skill set and provide reinforced practice in the flow of work.
To learn how The Peer Learning Institute can help your managers develop the skills they need, schedule to meet with Deborah Laurel at https://bit.ly/314ztux
#managementskills #managementdevelopment
