In today’s fast changing and ever evolving world of business, the importance of management/managerial skills is of paramount importance. To address today’s topic I would like to first briefly elaborate on “What is a Management Skill” and how and why it becomes essential for survival of today’s enterprise.

Management Skill can be defined as an attribute/characteristic in a person which enables him to make most of the available resources in an efficient manner.

There can be many skills a management or a manager should posses to effectively and efficiently run an organization. I will pick only few of them which are actually the game changer.

1. Time Management
2. Self Confidence
3. Knowledge
4. Effective Communication
5. Result Oriented
6. Persistence
7. Self Motivation
8. Proactive
9. Empathy
10. Goal Setting

For a manager the above mentioned skills along with a few more are very important to succeed. I would like to elaborate particularly on these 10 skills and explain how they prove to be a game-changer.

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 ensure that this task is done with perfection a manager should be cautious, 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. Have you ever paid anything to buy time? You haven’t right, 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 a 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. So, be persistent in all your endeavors.

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 might be failures in relationships (personal and professional). But these are the moments when one should be patient, strong and empathetic to overcome the situation. Displaying empathy would create a stronger bond between the team, enables one to understand other’s point of view and analyze situations from a different angle.

5. Effective Communication: This is the most important skill a manager should possess. Today there are numerous courses in colleges and in corporations to make their folks more effective while communicating. This actually helps the organization cut costs, prevent repetition and achieve customer satisfaction. Effective verbal, non-verbal and written communication is the need of the hour and should be paid attention to.

6. Knowledge: Today information is on the fingertips of every individual. We can search for any 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 will earn him/her respect and accolades. In this economy, the most lucrative jobs are given to a person who is well informed, knowledgeable and is updated about the current events. It further helps when someone is well versed with 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 yourself before anybody else does. To believe in their capabilities and have a strong will makes a manager or organization successful. But you should be very careful when being confident it should not be false/overconfidence. Just remember that if the confidence is coming from knowledge, preparation and hard work, then it’s genuine; otherwise check once more before you hit a roadblock due to complacency.

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 an optimistic outlook. Self-Motivation is very important when one is leading others. It’s the most important aspect of one’s personality to come up victorious every time.

9. Proactive: This is most one of the most desirable managerial skills in today’s world of rapid change, but unfortunately it is found very rarely in students, managers and leaders. Being proactive means preparing for the challenges are yet to arrive. 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 an increased customer loyalty.
10. Result Oriented:Everybody wants an employee or a manager who can produce great results.
    All of us expect good results from ourselves in all the aspects of our lives. Any 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, while maintaining a balance between the personal and professional life. One should not be distracted by external/internal factors.

    These management qualities are vital to run an organization successfully. Each of the above mentioned skills enables a person to effectively manage resources at his/her disposal. In today’s turbulent times, the importance of these skills cannot be underestimated. These are the qualities each manager/leader/student must possess in order achieve great success.

    Apart from being successful in professional arena, these qualities also make a person a better human being which is more important that having a promising career. Since an average person works for about 30-35 years in his life, the rest of the time is dedicated to the society, family and his friends by interacting and exchanging ideas and values. Each of above explained qualities makes him a better character to play his role more efficiently and more satisfactorily.

Contributed by Avdhesh Shukla ( Class of 2009, IBS BANGLORE )