Managerial Skills 150 131 3 What are

Managerial Skills 150 131 3

What are Managerial Skills? n n Simply, managerial skills are knowledge to fulfill some activities or tasks. This knowledge can be learned. However, it also can be acquired through practical fulfillment of these activities. Therefore, skills can be acquired through learning and experience of individuals. There are many definitions about skills that define it as some type of talent. Talent is something personal in an individual and represent a native gift from nature about something in that individual. All individuals cannot be artists. Usually artists are born with the gift of art and after that they develop their talent in quality art skills through educational systems.

n When we talk about managerial skills, those are skills used from managers that enable them maintaining efficiency in the way how employees complete their working tasks. Because of that managers must have skills with which they will manage people and technology to ensure an effective and efficient realization of their working tasks.

Three types of managerial skills n A manager's job is varied and complex. Managers need certain skills to perform the duties and activities associated with being a manager. What type of skills does a manager need? Robert L. Katz (1974) found that managers needed three essential management skills

Three types of managerial skills n n n Technical, Conceptual and Human or interpersonal managerial skills.

Technical Skills n n As the name of these skills tells us, these are skills about techniques of completion of tasks. These skills are not only for working on machines or other equipment, but also they are skills need to performed sales, marketing and so on. For example, some individual work in a sales department and have skills about sales that were developed through education and experience. This person is perfect for the sales manager because he has great technical skills about sales. Technical skills are most important for first-level managers, but for the top managers, these skills are not significant requirements. As we go through a hierarchy from the bottom to higher levels, the technical skills lose their signification.

Conceptual Skills n n Conceptual skills are ability or knowledge of managers for abstract thinking that means to see the whole through analysis and diagnose of different states and to predict the future state of the business as a whole. Why are managers need these skills? Firstly, one business has more business elements or functions as selling, marketing, finance, production… All of these business elements have different goals even completely opposed as marketing and production. These skills help top managers to look outside from the goals of single business elements and make decisions that will satisfy overall business goals. Conceptual skills are more vital for top managers, little for mid-level managers, and it is not required for first-level managers. As we go from a bottom of the managerial hierarchy to the top, significance of these skills is increasing.

Human Skill n Human Skill : This is the ability to work with, understand motivate other people (both individually and a group). This requires sensitivity towards others issues and concerns. People, who are proficient in technical skill, but not with interpersonal skills, may face difficulty to manage their subordinates. To acquire the Human Skill, it is pertinent to recognize the feelings and sentiments of others, ability to motivate others even in adverse situation, and communicate own feelings to others in a positive and inspiring way.