Module 1
Module 1
MODULE 1
Introduction to Essential Skills for Managers
1.1 Definition
What are Management Skills? - Management skills can be defined as certain attributes or
abilities that an executive should possess in order to fulfill specific tasks in an organization.
They include the capacity to perform executive duties in an organization while avoiding crisis
situations and promptly solving problems when they occur. Management skills can be
developed through learning and practical experience as a manager. The skills help the
manager to relate with their fellow co-workers and know how to deal well with their
subordinates, which allows for the easy flow of activities in the organization.
Understanding and displaying good management skills will help to position you for a
successful career no matter what level you're starting at.
We often discuss management skills in the abstract, but what are they, really? In the broadest
sense, management skills are nearly anything that enables you to manage others effectively.
This could include communication skills, interpersonal skills, general leadership skills and
more. While some abilities will vary based on your industry, there are several key skills that
will help you become a successful manager in nearly any work environment. Let’s explore
some of them.
1.2 Importance
For a manager all these and may be a few other skills are very important to succeed. The
most important of them are listed below:
1. Goal Setting: For a manager setting up the correct, precise and smart goals is very
important. If goal setting is done with due care and proper introspection, anything is
achievable. To achieve this – a manager should be circumspect, aware of himself, the
marketplace, and his team/organization, and should know the product/service thoroughly.
2. Time Management: This is perhaps the most talked about skill a manager should have.
Why is it important to manage time? Because it is the only resource which is free – Am I
serious (have you ever paid anything to buy time?) – No, then how is it the most expensive
resource? It’s the most expensive one – because you pay for it after you spend it…if you
spend it wisely you reap the benefits and vice-versa. A manager who manages his time
well usually achieves his goals on time and with better success rate.
3. Persistence: In business and in life one is bound to fail sometimes. It’s the persistence in a
person which helps him achieve the impossible. ‘Never Give Up’ spirit, and coming up
stronger after each time you fall will make you a stronger and more successful person in
life. As Thomas Alva Edison said – Success is 10% inspiration and 90% perspiration.
4. Empathy: A leader/manager should be empathetic to his team and to himself. There are
targets which are going to be missed, there are going to be missed deadlines, there are
going to be failure in relationships (personal and Professional). But these are the moments
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when one should be patient, strong and empathetic to overcome the situation. Empathy also
means to understand other’s point of view and analyse situations from a different angle.
5. Effective Communication: This is the most important skill a manger should possess. Today
there are numerous courses in colleges and in corporations to make their folks more
effective while communicating. This actually helps organization to cut costs, prevent
repetition and achieve customer satisfaction. Effective verbal, non-verbal and written
communication are the need of the hour and paid a great attention to.
6. Knowledge: Today information is on the fingertips of the individuals. We can search for
things/information at an unprecedented level with an unbelievable accuracy. But
knowledge is different from being informed. Being knowledgeable and an expert of one’s
subject/field earns her respect and accolades. In this knowledge economy most lucrative
jobs are given to the person who knows the stuff best. Who knows the technology and also
knows how to maneuver it.
7. Self Confidence: With knowledge comes confidence. Self Confidence is very important in
today’s world of business. It is you who should first believe in you before anybody else
does it. To believe in oneself and have an iron will makes a manger or organization
successful. But you should be very careful when being confident it should not be false/over
confidence. Just remember if the confidence is coming from knowledge, preparation and
hard work its true otherwise check it one more time before hitting a roadblock.
8. Self Motivation: When you go up in the ladder there are fewer people who motivate you
than the people who discourage you. You should be a self-motivator to take initiative and
encounter failure. One should be brave enough to take on challenges with a positive and
optimistic outlook. Self-Motivation is very important when one is leading others and while
one is failed alone. It’s the most important aspect of one’s personality to come up
victorious every time.
9. Proactive: This is most desirable managerial skills in today’s world of rapid change, but
unfortunately it is found in very rare students, mangers and leaders. Being proactive means
preparing for the challenges which are not yet arrived. Being proactive means to be able to
envision the future and prepare for it or rather create the future on your own terms. This
quality ensures better results, higher customer satisfaction, and more customer loyalty.
10. Result Oriented: Everybody wants an employee or a manger who produces great results.
Even each one of us expects better results from ourselves in all the aspect of our lives. Any
progressing person would like to become a better son/daughter, a better spouse/friend, a
better parent etc. Being result oriented does not mean to exhaust oneself while working or
pursuing a cause, it does not even mean to be a fanatic and end one’s life in a lunatic
asylum. But being result oriented means that one should always be focused and oriented to
his results. One should not be distracted by external/internal factors.
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Robert L. Katz has identified three kinds of skills for managers. These are:
Technical Skills - These skills are of greatest importance at the supervisory level. These
skills refer to the ability and knowledge in using the equipment, technique and procedures
involved in performing specific tasks. These skills require specialized knowledge and
proficiency in the mechanics of particular job.
Human skills - These skills are helpful in the frequent interactions with subordinates. These
skills consist of the ability to work effectively with other people both as individuals and as
members of a group. These skills require a sense of feeling for others and capacity to look at
things from others point of view.
Conceptual and design skills : These skills comprise the ability to see the whole
organization and the inter relationships between its parts. Conceptual skills also include the
competence to understand problems in all its aspects .These skills are not critical for lower
level supervisors. At the middle management level, the need for technical skills decreases,
human skills are still essential, while conceptual skills gain in importance. At the top
management, conceptual and design abilities and human skills are especially valuable, but
there is relatively little need for technical abilities.
Eg: Amazon utilised the business opportunity during lockdown period and catered to the
needs of customers delivering “almost” online (door step delivery) using the managerial
skills.
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Before we can even begin to explain what problem-solving is, we need to define what a
problem is. A problem is any type of disturbance from normality that is hindering progress. A
problem can be time consuming and energy wasting. They can be as little as a disagreement,
to as big as miscommunication that costs millions of dollars to fix. Another problem-solving
technique is identifying if whether it prevents you from reaching your goal. No matter the
size of the issue, it is always solved using a similar process in which you identify it at hand,
gather possible solutions, choose the best possible outcome, and implement it moving
forward. That is commonly known as the problem-solving process. If a company neglects any
problems in the workplace, it could potentially get worse and cause failure.
Problem-solving and failure go hand in hand. If there are any hiccups in that process,
everything can easily go awry. For example, if a sales team isn’t aware of the latest quota
change from the last quarter, the team’s expectations might not be met. That is why we spend
so much time and attention on problem-solving because it can be the difference in a
successful business and a failure. According to Forbes.com, some common barriers that will
prevent companies from being successful problem-solvers include the inability to see a
problem, lack of respect, and failure to include all parts involved with the problem, among
others. Here are some other ways a business can fail:
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Critical thinking is a 21st-century skill that enables a person to think rationally and logically
in order to reach a plausible conclusion. A critical thinker assesses facts and figures and data
objectively and determines what to believe and what not to believe. Critical thinking skills
empower a person to decipher complex problems and make impartial and better decisions
based on effective information.
The skills that we need in order to be able to think critically are varied and include
observation, analysis, interpretation, reflection, evaluation, inference, explanation, problem
solving, and decision making. Specifically we need to be able to: Think about a topic or issue
in an objective and critical way.
1.3.3 Creativity
Creativity is defined as the tendency to generate or recognize ideas, alternatives, or
possibilities that may be useful in solving problems, communicating with others, and
entertaining ourselves and others.
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and to come up with the same types of solutions. However, creativity helps you break out of
these patterns and come up with new and original ideas that can help you find a better
solution.
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1.3.4 Leadership
Leadership is the art of motivating a group of people to act toward achieving a common goal.
In a business setting, this can mean directing workers and colleagues with a strategy to meet
the company's needs.
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A person may be referred to interchangeably as both a "leader" and a "manager," though the
two terms are not necessarily synonymous.
Styles of Leadership
1. Autocratic Leadership Style.
Autocratic leadership is a way of managing a business firmly and with little or no
input from others. This type of leader likes to control the direction of the company
based on their own instincts and knowledge. This leadership style is also called
authoritarian leadership.
Autocratic leadership can be highly effective in small organisations where the
leadership team may only have one or two people on it. Since there are so few people
in a position to make decisions in small companies, autocratic leadership can be a
natural fit. However, for large companies with many layers of leadership and
management, it's often better to employ a style of organisational leadership that
includes more voices.
Some experts in the field of leadership disagree with autocratic leadership for its lack
of collaboration and checks and balances. Despite this, they agree that it may work
well when a business of any size is in crisis. In troubled times, a business needs an
authority who can make meaningful decisions that are quickly adopted and highly
productive.
Advantages
1. Quick decision making
2. Clear commands
3. Control
4. Discipline
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Advantages
1. Improves Morale - Group members who feel they are part of a team can have
higher morale than if they think they have limited influence.
2. Increases Engagement - Members of the organisation may feel empowered when
they participate in high-level decision-making.
3. Encourages Independence - Employees may require less intense management if
they participate in the decision-making for new processes and policies
4. Fosters Collaboration - By introducing many voices and ideas to the discussion,
leadership is more likely to receive creative and inventive thinking
Advantages
Encourages an innovative and creative team - Having the freedom to brainstorm and
implement ideas without receiving constant edits promotes an innovative and creative team.
Employees can contribute unique ideas and projects that may improve company performance
and bring in impressive results.
1. Leads to faster decision making - Since free-rein leadership lets employees submit
assignments without waiting for approval or applying edits from managers, they can
quickly implement more initiatives or ideas that could impact the company.
2. Boost Employee morale and job satisfaction - Free-rein leadership allows
employees to feel like managers appreciate their work and trust their abilities, since
supervisors aren't constantly adding edits or turning down their ideas. Employees feel
like their work adds value to the company, which makes them feel more confident in
their skills and performance.
3. Holds employee accountable - Since managers trust employees to make significant
decisions and solve complex problems, they'll feel more in control and confident.
They may understand the importance of being trusted with these responsibilities with
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little to no supervision, which can cause them to more carefully make decisions and to
complete projects with no errors.
4. Prepares them for high level opportunities - Employees who complete tasks under
free-rein leadership can make significant decisions with little guidance from
managers. This shows leadership members that employees can work independently
and can complete high-level duties on their own.
1.3.5 Collaboration
Collaboration skills enable you to successfully work toward a common goal with others.
They include communicating clearly, actively listening to others, taking responsibility for
mistakes, and respecting the diversity of your colleagues.
Advantages
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1. It encourages problem-solving - It’s less likely that employees will face difficulties
solving problems at work if they have a strong collaborative culture within their
organization.
2. It allows employees to learn from each other - When employees from different
backgrounds and at varying levels of experience are allowed to work together,
everyone benefits.
6. Remote teams are more efficient - Working from home or working remotely is
becoming commonplace. However, remote workers can also feel detached from their
coworkers.
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1.3.6 Communication
Communication is simply the act of transferring information from one place, person or group
to another. Every communication involves (at least) one sender, a message and a recipient.
This may sound simple, but communication is actually a very complex subject.
Communication- Communication (from Latin communicate, meaning "to share") is the act of
conveying meanings from one entity or group to another through the use of mutually
understood signs, symbols, and semiotic rules. Communication channels is the term given to
the way in which we communicate. It is therefore the method used to transmit our message to
a recipient, or to receive a message from someone else. There are multiple communication
channels available to us today. These include face-to-face conversations, telephone calls, text
messages, email, the Internet (including social media such as Facebook, linkedIn and
Twitter), radio and TV, written letters, brochures and reports. Choosing an appropriate
communication channel is vital for effective communication. Each communication channel
has different strengths and weaknesses.
Eg: Anand Mahindra Chairman of Mahindra Group, uses all his communication channels
very effectively and judiciously
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o To Increase Productivity:
With effective communication, you can maintain relationships. It helps to
increase productivity.
o To Develop Professionalism in Students:
In the future students will become doctors and then they need to communicate
effectively with their patients. They need empathy, friendliness in their
profession for interacting with patients. In the future students will become
political / business, entrepreneurs, and leaders, in all these fields they need to
communicate effectively.
o To Increase the Quality of Being Friendly With Others:
It is important to be friendly with others. Good communication builds strong
friendships. It will give confidence. In this way, communication skills enhance
the ability to understand and share the feelings of each other. It is important
for making friendly relationships.
To sum up, I would like to say that communication plays a major role in
promoting the life of an individual.
1.3.6 Interpersonal Skills; Interpersonal skills are the skills we use every day when we
communicate and interact with other people, both individually and in groups.
The seven types of interpersonal skills that are needed to succeed in an organizational
environment are:
Verbal communication.
Non-verbal communication.
Listening skills.
Negotiation.
Problem-solving.
Decision-making.
Assertiveness.
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1.3.7 Forward planning- Strategic thinking strategic thinking is only the beginning — you
also need a strategic plan to turn your insights into action.
Strategic thinking is about defining where you want to go and what you want to achieve. It is
useful for when you need to make an informed decision, solve a problem, or improve a
process. Strategic thinking helps you consider the long-term value and consequences of
taking a particular approach.
Strategic planning is about defining how you will implement your vision. It is useful for
detailing the steps needed to solve a problem, improve a process, or deliver something new.
Strategic planning is also critical when preparing for a major change. This could be
embarking on a business transformation or undergoing a merger, acquisition, or other large
organizational shift.
Skills
Curiosity
Creativity
Boldness
Open-ended thinking
Pattern recognition
Problem-solving
Organization
Prioritization
Critical thinking
Risk management
Communication
Flexibility
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1.3.9 Empathy, Empathy is the capacity to understand or feel what another person is
experiencing from within their frame of reference, that is, the capacity to place oneself in
another's position
Eg: You listen intently to what others have to say. You can usually tell when someone is
feeling sad, anxious, angry, or just off. You often absorb other people's emotions and end up
feeling how others are feeling.
This is so hard.
I can't believe how well you're holding up, considering how much stress you're under.
1.3.10 Value and Culture. Values guide decision-making and a sense of what's important
and what's right. Culture is the collection of business practices, processes, and interactions
that make up the work environment. A company's values should never really change
Cultural values bind people together which makes them strong and united. It makes people
learn tolerance and understand brotherhood which paves the path of social harmony,
economic improvement and physical well being of the community and the others.
The culture at your organization sets expectations for how people behave and work together,
and how well they function as a team. In this way, culture can break down the boundaries
between siloed teams, guide decision-making, and improve workflow overall.
National culture refers to the vales of a nation, which includes aspects like the issue of
morality, dressing, food, dance, songs, languages and other related things. Organizational
culture relates to the way an organization is structured and run.
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Just as an organizational culture informs what a company works on and how employees
accomplish it, personal cultures inform how we prioritize our days and achieve our goals.
They give shape to how we make decisions and our overall leadership style. They force a
conscientiousness of our own behaviors. Therefore all the 3 cultures are very important for a
Manager to behave as per the requirement.
Eg: Culture of Taj Hotel during terror attack, how employees rescued Customers.
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