Bus 120 Lecture Note
Bus 120 Lecture Note
Bus 120 Lecture Note
MANAGERIAL SKILLS
Introduction
A manager’s job is complex and multidimensional. It requires a range of skill to perform the
duties and activities associated with it. Regardless of the level of management, managers must
possess and seek to further develop many critical skills. A skill is an ability or proficiency in
performing a particular task. Traditionally, skills have been described as the occupational task of
the craftsman which requires manual dexterity. In fact, skills were formerly used to measure the
physical dexterity in the movement of limbs. In management, it should be noted that the
acquisition of formal training on management techniques coupled with their personal
characteristics would create better performance. Management skills are learned and developed.
A manager must possess certain skills. All managers need to possess technical, interpersonal,
conceptual, diagnostic, communicational and political skills. The technical and diagnostic skills
refer to knowledge and ability of understanding the processes involved and scientifically
analyzed problems and opportunities. The human skills are the most important assets of any
successful manager. An effective manager must possess the following skills to perform his job
well and the various skills that the managers must possess are:
i. Technical skills ii. Human skills iii. Conceptual skills iv. Diagnostic skills v. Communication
skills vi. Political skills
Technical skills
Technical skill is the ability to use the procedures, techniques, and knowledge of a specialized
field. Engineers, accountants, doctors, and musicians all have technical skills in their respective
fields. Technical skill also includes analytical ability and the competent use of tools and work
equipment to solve problems in that specific discipline. Technical skills are especially important
for first-line managers. These skills become less important than human and conceptual skills as
managers move up the hierarchy. The technical skills basically involve the use of knowledge
methods and techniques in performing the job effectively. Technical skills are specialised
knowledge and expertise which is utilised in dealing with day-to-day problems and activities. For
example, engineers, accountants, computer programmers and system analysts all have technical
skills in their areas and these skills are acquired through education and training These skills are
highly necessary at the lower level of management and as one moves to higher levels of
management the relative importance of technical skills usually diminishes. This is so because
unlike first level supervisors, managers at higher levels have less direct contact with technical
operating problems and activities at the lower level of an organization Technical skills are those
skills needed to accomplish a specific task. It is the ‘how to’ skill set that allows a manager to
complete his or her job. These skills are the combination of formal education, training, and on-
the-job experience. Most employees expect their managers to have a technical skill set above
their own so that, when needed, an employee can come to their manager to find out how to do
something specific to their individual job.
The next type of skills a manager must have are human skills. Human skills is the ability to work
with other people in a cooperative manner It involves understanding, patience, trust and genuine
involvement in interpersonal relationship. These are interpersonal skills and are necessary at all
levels of management. Human skill is the ability to work with people by getting along with them.
It is the ability to motivate, lead and to communicate effectively with others. It is also known as
‘people’, ‘interpersonal’ or ‘behavioural’ skill. This skill is important as the managers spend
considerable time interacting with people both inside and outside the firm. Managers require
such skill for the following specific reasons:
Human skills are equally important at all levels of management. People with introductory human
skills build trust and cooperation as they motivate and lead and thus become successful managers
The skill is gaining more importance as the workplace is becoming more and more ethnically
diversified and the manager has to be aware and become adoptive to cultural differences.
Furthermore, since the businesses are becoming more and more multinational and global
managers are required to learn new ways of dealing with people in different countries
with different cultures and value. These interpersonal skills are what a manager will use to work
with his or her employees. Some people are born with good human skills; others must work
much harder at it. Human skills are critical for all managers because they work with people.
Managers with good human skills understand their role inside the manager/employee
relationship and how important things, like trust, cohesion, fairness, empathy, and good will, are
to the overall success of the organization. Human skills help the manager to communicate, lead,
and motivate an employee to work towards a higher level of productivity.
For example, imagine Kelly’s job description was changing to include a greater deal of
responsibility but for the same pay. Kelly is upset, and feels overwhelmed by this change. Manny
is a manager with good human skills, so he is able to empathize and communicate his
understanding of Kelly’s frustration with the change to her. Manny quickly works to find ways to
motivate Kelly to continue to work at a higher level, despite the additional workload being
placed on her.
Conceptual Skills
Conceptual skills are most important at the top management levels. More specifically, conceptual
skills refer to the ability:
To recognize significant elements in a situation and to understand the relationships among the
elements.
To understand how a change in one unit will impact the other units.
Conceptual skill is often called the ability to see the ‘big picture’. It means the ability to ‘think
strategically’- to take the broad, long-term view. The importance of conceptual skills increases as
the manager is promoted higher in the organization.
Conceptual skills are the final type of skills a manager must possess inside their toolbox.
Essentially, a manager’s conceptual skills allow him or her to solve problems in a strategic and
calculated fashion. Conceptual skills are becoming increasingly more important in today’s
chaotic business environment. Managers are, continually, being challenged to think conceptually
about their organizations to develop action plans and harness resources to achieve organizational
goals. A manager with good conceptual skills can look at a problem, break it down into
manageable pieces, consider a variety of possible solutions, all before putting it back together
again in a more effective and efficient manner. Conceptual skills are most important for top
managers but still important for middle and low-level managers as well.
Diagnostic skills
This is the skill that enables a manager to visualize the most appropriate response to a situation.
A manager can diagnose and analyze a problem in the organization by studying its symptoms
and then developing a solution. It is the ability to define the problem, recognize its possible
causes, focus on the most direct problem, and then solve it. It is the ability to determine, by
analysis and examination, the nature and circumstances of a particular condition. It is not only
the ability to specify why something occurred, but also the ability to develop certain speculations
in ‘what if’ situation. It can be noted that managers generally use different combinations of skills
at different levels of an organization. For example, top managers rely heavily on conceptual and
diagnostic skills and first-line managers put more emphasis on technical and interpersonal skills.
Communicational skills
Communication skill for a manager is a must. The manager must be able to convey ideas and
information to others and receive information and ideas from others effectively. A manager’s job
is to control the subordinates and gives high-level managers or administrators information about
what’s going on.
Communication skill enables a manager to perform them properly. Most of his time, a manager’s
job is to interact with people inside and outside of the organization. A manager requires having
an effective communication skill to keep the responsibilities given to him.
Political skills
A related aspect of human skill is political skill which is a distinct type of social skill that is
important for managerial success. Political skill is a construct that was introduced more than two
decades ago as a necessary competency to possess to be effective in organizations. Political skill
is defined as: “The ability to effectively understand others at work, and to use such knowledge to
influence others to act in ways that enhance one’s personal and/or organizational objectives”.
Politically skilled individuals display six important behaviors: thinking before speaking,
managing up, interpersonal influence, social astuteness, networking ability and sincerity.
Thinking before speaking: First, politically skilled individuals think before they speak and
demonstrate impulse control. They choose to engage in organizational conflict that are important
and they assess situations before presenting their ideas to team members. Moreover, this skill of
considering whether to voice an opinion and be mindful of timing and presentation of ideas is
typical of successful employees and they are less likely to derail in their careers
Managing up: Second, politically skilled individuals who are effective in “managing up” are
skilled in communicating with their superiors. However, it is important that politically skilled
individuals maintain effective relationships with individuals at all levels in the organization. This
is especially true for those in a managerial position. If the manager places too much emphasis on
fulfilling their superiors’ needs then they tend to neglect the needs of their subordinates.
Social astuteness: Fourth, politically skilled individuals demonstrate social astuteness through
being perceptive observers of others and of social situations. They understand the dynamics of
social interactions and they accurately self-assess their own behavior as well as others so show
strong intrapersonal and interpersonal skills. They discern situations and have high self-
awareness.
Sincerity: Finally, politically skilled individuals are sincere. They display high levels of
integrity, authenticity, sincerity, and are genuine. They are honest, open and forthright, and
inspire trust and confidence. They are genuine in their interactions with organization members.
Many experts have suggested few more additional skills for managers to perform their roles
successfully. They are as follows:
Design Skill
According to Koontz and Weihrich, managers at upper organizational levels must have the skill
of a good design engineer in working out a practical solution to problems. Design skill is the
ability to solve problems in ways that benefit the enterprise. Managers must be able to do more
than see a problem. If they become ‘problem watchers’, they will fail. They must be able to
design a ‘workable solution; to the problem in the light of the realities they face.
Analytical Skill
These skills involve using scientific approaches or techniques to solve management problems. In
essence, analytical skills are the abilities to identify key factors and understand how they
interrelate. These skills include the ability to diagnose and evaluate. These are needed to
understand problems and to develop plans of action for their solution. It is ability to think about
how multiple complex variables interact.
Digital Skill
Managers must how to use digital technology to perform many aspects of their jobs. This skill
increases a manager’s productivity. This skill involves a conceptual understanding of computers
and telecommunications. Through computers, managers can perform in minute’s tasks in
financial analysis, human resources planning and other areas that otherwise task hour to
complete.
Interpersonal Skill
Effective communication is vital for effective managerial performance. This skill is crucial to
managers who must achieve results through the efforts of others. It is the ability to exchange
ideas and information’s in ways that other people understand the message. It also involves
feedback from employees to ensure that one is understood. If managers are to succeed in the
workplace, they must strengthen their communication skills.
This skill involves deciding what tasks need to be done, determining how they can be done.
Allocation resources to enable then to be done, and them monitoring process to ensure that they
are done. Included in this competency are: Information gathering, analysis, and problem
solving; Planning and organizing projects; Time management; and Budgeting and financial
management
Teamwork Skill
It is the skill to: (i) design teams properly, (ii) create a supportive team environment; and (iii)
manage team dynamics appropriately. Because more and more organizations are relying on team
to improve quality and productivity, it becomes important for managers to develop their
teamwork skill.
Today, most of the companies are serving global markets. Many organizations need to set up
operations in other countries. Hence, it has become necessary for managers to develop global
awareness competency. This skill is reflected in (i) cultural knowledge and understanding, and
(ii) cultural openness and sensitivity.
Self-Management Skill
The dynamic work environment calls for self-awareness and development. Effective managers
have to develop self-employment skill which includes: Integrity and ethical conduct, Personal
drive and resilience, Balancing work and life demands, Self-awareness and development, and
Learning about self.