Management Skills Flashcards
The seven areas of management skills
Communication Negotiation Time Management Delegation Decision-Making and Problem Solving Stress Management Emotional Intelligence (EQ)
What is management skills?
Refers to the techniques a manager may use in order to improve their personal effectiveness and contribute to achieving the objectives of the organisation
What is Communication?
-Communication has two important aspects
These are: The effective transmission of information
Maintenance of good personal relationships
-Communication also contains messages about the value the organisation puts on its employees and the expectations it has of them
List the forms of communication
-Networks
Members of a network share information and resources
-One-to-one Personal Communication
It has the advantage of generating enthusiasm and commitment because of its direct personal appeal.
-Written Communication
Management should ask the following: Does the written communication suggest knowledge, humanity, trust, interest or other desirable features of management’s personality and is it clear and to the point?
-Electronic Networks
-Committees
Committees can provide a communication channel
-Conferences
A conference is simply a meeting of any group to confer
Advantages of group involvement and shared responsibility
Why should management seek to lower noise in communication and how can it be achieved?
- Effective communication requires the lowering of a variety of ‘noise’ between the sender and the receiver
- Noise in communication blocks or distorts the message
-Noise can arise from such factors as:
Physical Distractions (unsuitable location etc)
Ineffective or unsuitable communication technology
The words used
-Hints to lower noise in communication include:
Using simple and clear communication
Seeking feedback from the receivers for the purpose of confirming the effectiveness of the communication
Being a good, alert listener
Being aware of how you present yourself, including your
non-verbal communication
What is the purpose of Negotiation, what skills are required and through what process is it achieved?
-Aims to produce an outcome satisfactory to all involved
-The negotiation process requires skills in:
Clear expression of objectives and general feelings
Assessing differences
Sorting out different interpretations of the facts
Dealing with a level of conflict and stress
Knowing when to compromise and what is gained by compromise
Making sure all parties are clear on the agreement and how to put into practice
-The negotiation process moves through these stages: Preparation Opening Bargaining Closing Implementation of the agreed outcome
Define Time Management, its process, and what ‘time-wasters’ management should eliminate.
-Skilled time management requires a combination of a systematic approach and the self-discipline to stick to the system
-A systematic approach to time management involves:
Setting out tasks to be done
Delegating tasks
Establishing priorities
Allocating time to particular tasks
Building in deadlines and other controls
Periodically reviewing the plan in operation
-Management should seek to eliminate such time-wasters as:
Poor communication
A culture in which ‘crises’ tend to upset established plans
Delayed, incomplete or inaccurate information
Unnecessarily slow decision making
Lack of staff familiarity
Inadequate training to complete a task
Insufficient staff to complete a task
Define Delegation, list its advantages, the skills involved for effective delegation, and tasks suitable for delegation.
-Delegation takes place when significant tasks are handed over by management to an employee in the organisation
-Advantages of delegation include:
It can assist the smooth flow of production
It is a time saver for a management
(It allows management to get more done and frees up time to spend on longer-term planning)
It contributes to employee skill development and satisfaction
(It shows faith in staff)
-Effective delegation involves a number of skills:
Analysing the job and therefore having a clear understanding of what authority is needed to carry out the job
Setting performance standards
Setting realistic deadlines and checkpoints to monitor progress
Selecting appropriate people
Clearly communicating the task and providing specific support
Assessing the delegated task when completed and feedback
-Tasks that normally suit delegation: Larger projects Repetitive or time-consuming tasks Collection or organisation of data Tasks that develop and train staff for future roles
What is Decision Making, through what process is it achieved, and list keys to effective decision making.
-Decision making involves making choices among possible courses of action
-Decision making involves a six step approach:
Step 1: Define the objective
(Management must be clear on what it would like to happen)
Step 2: Outline the facts
Step 3: Decide the cause of the problem
(By analysing the collected data, management should be able to indenting the precise cause of the problem)
Step 4: Develop Several Solutions
(This might identify some solutions that are not at all feasible and therefore can be eliminated)
Step 5: Select the preferred alternative and implement it
(This may involve consulting a range of people in the organisation, external experts or company policy where it relates to the solution)
Step 6: Evaluate the effectiveness of the solution
-Timing and flexibility are keys to effective decision making. Management should not make more decisions than it needs to because:
Minor problems do not require management’s attention
Some matters for decision will already be covered by established policy and practices
Management needs to distinguish between ‘urgent’ and ‘important’ decisions
Decision Making Conditions
Certainty
(The outcome of each alternative course of action is known in advance)
Risk
(The outcome of each alternative is not completely certain)
(Involves some probabilities and predictions in decision making)
Uncertainty
(Cannot even put probabilities on the outcomes)
Define Stress Management, how does it affect managers, and list ways managers can address stress.
-Too much stress for too long can become distress. Management needs to consider the demands it makes of itself and of others
-Managers are affected by a number of stressors including: Firing an employee/Getting fired Long hours Workplace change New Technology Deadlines Performance appraisals Working to budget Working to quality standards Management job insecurity
-Ways that managers can address employee stress include:
Obtaining and providing reliable information on issues causing stress
Promoting the importance of physical exercise and mental relaxation
Introducing initiatives to improves employee morale and sense of being valued at work
Establishing a support program to develop personal or work resources
Define Emotional Intelligence, the four levels of mastery, and the advantages of mastering EQ.
-EQ is about how people handle their emotions and their relationships
-At its centre is the ability to use two personal attributes:
Self-restraint: Involves understanding and controlling emotions
Compassion: Empathy and being helpful
-Mastery of EQ can be seen as an ascending hierarchy
The four levels:
Level 1: Perception of one’s own emotions and capacity to communicate these to other people
Level 2: Perception of, and empathy with, the emotions of others
Level 3: Capacity to assimilate emotional information into thought (feeds into decision making)
Level 4: Capacity to regulate and manage emotions in oneself and others
-A higher level of EQ should result in better teamwork, reduced levels of stress and heightened motivation to achieve objectives
