A Classification of Management Skills

Management skills are the different things a supervisor can do well that enable or enhance their handling of subordinates, peers, projects, and corporate interests. These skills are usually a combination of soft skills, which develop naturally in people, and hard skills, which individuals obtain through study or experience. While the former is transferrable across occupations and industries, the latter is variable. In general, all managers need particular abilities to perform the following types of job duties:

• Develop goals and strategies to address industry characteristics and company requirements
• Break down business requirements into tasks, schedule tasks, and oversee task performance
• Develop processes for operations, implement them, and evaluate performance
• Develop budgets for projects, implement budgets, and track expenses
• Build a team, supervise it, motivate workers, and promote employee engagement
• Collaborate with subordinates, other departments, and senior management
• Protect corporate interests and promote employee compliance to company policies
• Gain up-to-date information on industry innovations

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There are several ways to classify managerial skills. The ideas developed by the social and organizational psychologist, Robert Katz, effectively separate managerial skills into technical, conceptual, and interpersonal categories. With this categorization, examples of management skills are as follows:

Technical skills of managers

The technical skills of managers refer to abilities that enable supervisors to use different techniques to achieve their objectives. These aptitudes can involve the use of tangible things, such as machines, and intangible things, such as knowledge of a computing technology. Essentially, technical skills are job-specific hard skills that each manager must gain through study, on-the-job training, or experience. Here are a few examples of these abilities:

• Technical skill example of a production manager: Operating and assessing the performance of vehicle manufacturing equipment
• Technical skill example of a marketing manager: Using internet marketing tools and leveraging digital communication channels to build brand awareness, engage customers, and improve sales
• Technical skill example of a project manager: Using project management methodologies, such as the Agile approach, to delegate tasks to project teams, supervise task completion, make changes to the methodology if necessary, and keep the project on track to meet goals.

Conceptual skills of managers

Conceptual skills refer to abilities that enable the performance of managerial job duties involving various kinds of abstractions. Essentially, managers must see each part of company operations they oversee in its context, identify problems or areas for improvement, envision solutions, and implement them. Here are the key conceptual abilities each manager needs.

• Planning: Managers must be able to make plans that address business goals and use available labor, time, and financial resources effectively. This skill involves setting measurable and time-bound objectives, envisioning strategies to achieve them, developing the necessary activities, and worker detailing.
• Delegation: The ability to delegate effectively is needed by all managers. This involves assessing your workload and that of your team members, seeing potential to improve productivity through the reallocation of tasks, and reassigning work as necessary to improve performance.
• Decision-making: The ability to make good decisions is a key skill each manager needs. This professional must evaluate alternatives, weigh relevant information for each option, consider possible outcomes, and make informed decisions.
• Problem-solving: Invariably, problems arise during company operations, and a manager must use their problem-solving ability to ideate solutions and resolve issues effectively.
• Time management: An effective manager is one who uses their time effectively. This professional must develop protocols for managing their time and assist their subordinates to achieve time-bound targets.

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Interpersonal skills of managers

Interpersonal skills refer to the skill set managers use to handle tasks that involve interacting with others, which can include their team of workers, other department heads, the senior management, suppliers, and clients. These skills are comprised of soft skills, and all managers require them. For a managerial role, you should invest in improving your natural abilities in the following areas:

• Communication: Communication skills are a key component in the effectiveness of supervisors. Managers must hire workers, delegate tasks, supervise performance, and motivate their employees. It’s essential for these professionals to establish top-down and bottom-up communication channels that enable the flow of information, prevent miscommunication, and reduce conflicts. Most managerial duties require skills in verbal, written, or nonverbal communication.
• Empathy: Empathy is a key skill that can transform mediocre managers into exceptional ones. In the context of management, this skill involves being able to relate to workers, see obtuse problems that reduce staff productivity, and find solutions that are relevant to employees.
• Leadership: Most successful managers are natural leaders who know how to inspire their workers and give them the guidance they need to perform their tasks effectively.
• Collaboration: A manager must work with others to achieve targets. For example, these professionals must work with their team, other departments, external suppliers, and senior management to achieve specific outputs and reach targets.
• Motivation: A manager is expected to build and maintain a motivated team of workers. This involves empowering workers, tailoring their leadership style to suit team characteristics, and considering workers during decision-making.
• Logistics: As a manager is responsible for the productivity of their team, they must identify the administrative support services needed by their team members and oversee the support staff to ensure their subordinates have what they need in relation to equipment, digital infrastructure, and other support services. For example, a sustainability manager must ensure that their team has computers with the necessary software installed to analyze data and develop proposals for funding. Additionally, this professional must ensure that their team has access to the relevant company areas to gather data on natural resource usage.

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There are several steps you can take to improve your management skills, such as:

1. Discover the skills you need. Use your research skills to find out about the abilities managers need. For example, you can use online resources like this article to do so.
2. Evaluate your skills: Make a list of the management skills you use most often at work, and identify areas for improvement. If you’re employed as a manager, engage your team by asking them about the abilities they want a manager to have and get their feedback on your management.
3. Identify any skill gaps. Make a list of the new skills you need and the abilities you want to improve based on your research findings.
4. Focus on improving your skills. Use professional programs, online resources, workshops, and on-the-job training to reduce the gaps in your management skills.

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Here are management skills you can use to improve your effectiveness in the workplace:

• Written communication
• Verbal communication
• Nonverbal communication
• Logistics
• Empathy
• Planning
• Problem-solving
• Leadership
• Time management
• Teamwork
• Collaboration
• Confidence
• Networking
• Critical thinking
• Project management
• Organization
• Accuracy
• Business storytelling
• Innovation
• Rational thinking
• Motivation
• Business strategy
• Adaptability
• Resilience
• Positivity
• Integrity
• Dependability
• Practicality
• Public speaking
• Data collection
• Quantitative data analysis
• Qualitative data analysis
• Consistency
• Emotional intelligence
• Planning software
• Microsoft Word
• Microsoft PowerPoint
• Microsoft Excel
• Microsoft Visio
• Email management
• Energy
• Budgeting
• Humor
• Discipline
• Negotiation
• Presentation
• Humility
• Talent assessment
• Supervision
• Persuasion
• Productivity
• Diplomacy
• Patience
• Team building
• Employee recruitment
• Employee engagement
• Employee training
• Goal orientation
• Conflict resolution
• Task delegation
• Professionalism
• Coordination
• Process management

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While developing the right skills is essential to work effectively as a manager, you also need to highlight them in key documents such as your cover letter and resume and during events like your job interview. Here are the skills you should highlight in each of these areas:

Management skills for your cover letter

In your cover letter, you can focus on the following management skills:

• Leadership
• Problem-solving
• Teamwork
• Planning
• Innovation
• Productivity
• Confidence
• Persuasion
• Written communication

Management skills for your resume

Your resume can highlight the following management skills:

• Leadership
• Productivity
• Innovation
• Communication
• Problem-solving
• Teamwork
• Employee recruitment
• Employee engagement
• Process management
• Project management
• Time management
• Diplomacy
• Empathy
• Dependability
• Patience
• Written communication
• Confidence
• Adaptability

Management skills for the interview

Management skills you can use in the interview include:

• Planning
• Confidence
• Problem-solving
• Time management
• Decision-making
• Collaboration
• Leadership
• Innovation
• Productivity
• Patience
• Verbal communication
• Nonverbal communication

Now, you know the different types of management skills and the key abilities all supervisors need. Boost your managerial prowess with the process discussed in this article. Prepare for your next executive-level occupation.