10 Skills Every Good Manager Needs

What are managerial skills?

These are skills, attributes or abilities managers need to possess in order to accomplish the tasks required of them in an organisation. These are not inborn skills, so they can be learnt and further improved upon. Without these skills, however, a manager cannot lead their team successfully. 

Interpersonal skills

Managers constantly interact with their staff or those in the senior departments; they should possess good interpersonal skills in order to build successful relations and should therefore also be able to accommodate those of different characters and personalities.

Communication skills 

Communication skills are essential for managers because the manager of your team is the communication link between frontline staff and senior management, an advanced communication skills course is a great way to improve. For there to be effective communication skills, managers should establish a relationship of trust with their employees and those they communicate with. This will mean being readily available to their staff, holding weekly or monthly meetings, readily prepared with praise for your team’s efforts and lastly, ensuring that the information conveyed clearly defines what tasks, activities and procedures need to be followed. 

Good organisation and delegation skills

Managers need to possess the skill to organise their team as well as delegate work to its members. Good organisational skills mean that you should be able to ‘plan, schedule, organise and them follow your plan’. Work delegation, therefore, falls under organising. 

Motivation

Managers should possess a direct and optimistic attitude that encourages their team to work in a happy and optimal work environment. 

Leading and Mentoring

Acting as a mentor and leader to your team is important for a manager. This means providing your team with support from your wealth of experience, knowledge and skills, as well as offering training and advice aimed to build their confidence and skills.

Problem-solver

Should not passively listen to problems but should be active in seeking solutions. The process of problem-solving starts firstly with identifying the problem and then brainstorming various suitable solutions.

Decision-making

To run an organisation, decisions need to be made, which managers are accountable and responsible for. Good decisions lead to the success of the organisation, whereas bad decisions lead to its failure. 

Commercial awareness

Managers need to have a good understanding of the marketplace the organisation is in. This means they are aware of the organisation’s missions and aims, understand the business sector from which it operates, know political and economic factors influencing the business, and be aware of who the business’ competitors are.

Domain knowledge

Managers should know what is expected from them and understand the processes and tasks needed to be managed. 

Strategic thinking

Managers should be fully prepared by having the bigger picture in mind, as well as everyday tasks and responsibilities. They should also set priorities and review organisation systems and policies frequently. In addition, they should also attend frequent training that improves how they manage their team’s activities as well as encouraging their team to think more creatively in order to be more productive and profitable.