Key management skills?

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Managerial competencies represent the knowledge and skills that an individual uses to complete his or her responsibilities. While a range of skills may be required to run a business or hold a management position, some skills often reach the top for managers. Successful managers typically display both hard and soft skills. The most important managerial skills include the ability to manage differences and changes, a strong strategic vision, a capacity for motivation and determination. A mix of these skills is often present or needed in most management positions.

Hard manager skills represent the technical skills of an individual to complete tasks and activities. Accounting, marketing, Six Sigma, or corporate finance skills are among the most common. Soft skills are more interpersonal in nature than hard skills. Communication, negotiation and motivation are among the most common soft skills used by managers.

Managing differences is an essential skill because managers often have to deal with a wide range of issues in a company. Regional, personal and linguistic differences are often among the most common in the business world. Many times, a manager won’t know what issues will arise during her day. The ability to handle any item from a huge range of possibilities puts this skill at the top of a potentially long list.

A secondary skill in managing differences is managing change. While these may seem like extremely similar management skills, there are several differences. Managing change is the ability to alter business operations to keep a business relevant in an economy. Change is not easy and it often takes strength and leadership to navigate a business in these times.

Strategic vision requires a manager to look forward, not backward. Rather than continually focusing on past success, manager skills must include the ability to look to future possibilities. These can be new technologies, future product lines, and other issues that may affect a business. A manger must be able to create a vision and articulate it towards successful business operations.

Motivation is among the most common soft skills a manager will use with employees. Individuals may be unprepared or unwilling to complete a project. Managers must find a way to encourage and motivate these employees to complete the required tasks. Motivation is internal or external, such as making positive comments or providing bonuses to hard workers.

Decision making is another skill required for management decision making. Rather than simply continuing the analysis phase, the manager’s skills dictate quick decisions when all the information is at hand. The decision is also needed to make changes in a situation where new information arises. This ensures that a business is always prepared for the variety of issues that arise while running a business.

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