Nick krest - Skills for a Successful Management Career
Interpersonal skills
Management jobs are all about people, and being able to build successful relationships is integral. If
you want to lead a team, you'll need to earn the respect of your colleagues. To do this, you need to
know how to effectively deal with other people.
Setting time aside to get to know your team members on both a personal and professional level,
through social activities or team-building training, while still maintaining professional boundaries,
will go a long way to earning their respect.
You need to demonstrate your managerial qualities and authority, while maintaining the ability to
play your part as a member of a team.
Communication and motivation
Effective leaders must master all forms of communication including written, verbal and listening
skills. As a team manager you're the line of communication between frontline staff and senior
management. You'll liaise with a variety of people, from entry-level employees to heads of
departments and CEOs, in a number of different ways - via email and social media, over the phone
and in presentations, meetings and one-to-ones.
You'll need to establish a trusting relationship with your employees so they feel comfortable sharing
information with you, and vice versa. To ensure that lines of communication remain open, you'll
need to make yourself readily available and accessible to your employees to discuss any issues or
concerns that arise. Having an open door policy or weekly or monthly team meetings should
facilitate this. Let your staff know that they matter by maintaining eye contact, smiling and listening
attentively.
An open, positive attitude at work goes a long way to creating a healthy work environment. Don't
shut yourself off or put yourself on a pedestal. Simple gestures, such as active encouragement,
recognising achievements and taking an interest in the lives of your employees, ensures that staff
feel valued. A positive workplace creates happy, motivated employees.
Organisation and delegation
As a manager you'll juggle multiple responsibilities, so excellent organisational skills are vital. You'll
need to manage your own workload, oversee the work of other employees, attend meetings and
training sessions, carry out appraisals and review company policies. Sloppy working practices,
tardiness and a general lack of organisation won't be tolerated at this level and will set a bad
example to your staff. Effective organisational skills reduce stress, save time and ensure that
important deadlines are met.
Many managers ease their own busy workload by delegating tasks to colleagues. To do this
effectively you need to analyse and identify the skills of your employees and assign duties to each
depending on their skillset. Delegation isn't a sign of weakness, and can in fact multiply the amount
of work that a manager can accomplish - while developing the team's confidence and skills.

Forward planning and strategic thinking
It's a manager's job to think of the bigger picture, so as well as focusing on today's tasks and
responsibilities you'll also need to plan for the future. This means setting priorities in line with
company goals, reviewing systems and policies, and attending training and managing the CPD
activities of your team. As a strategic thinker, you'll encourage innovation and change in order to
make your team and the organisation as a whole more productive and profitable.
Problem solving and decision-making
You'll be tasked with spotting and solving problems on a daily basis in a managerial position. This
requires outstanding attention to detail and the ability to remain calm under pressure. To ensure
that your team is productive and that the workflow runs smoothly, you'll have to think on your feet
when problems arise. Creative thinking will help you to come up with innovative solutions that
minimise the impact on your team and the business as a whole.
Thinking on your feet also comes in useful when you have to make a snap decision about how to
successfully complete a task or meet a business goal. Being able to quickly weigh up the pros and
cons of a situation and make an informed decision is essential.
Commercial awareness
This skill is in huge demand among business employers. In fact, according to recruiters, commercial
awareness is something that the majority of graduates lack.

If you want to progress to management level, an understanding of the marketplace in which a
business operates and what it is that makes a business successful is essential. To demonstrate this,
you'll need to show that you:
are aware of the organisation's mission and aims
have an understanding of the job sector that the company belongs to
know about the political and economic issues affecting the business
can identify the company's competitors.
Mentoring
As well as being business-focused decision-makers, managers also need to play a supportive role. If
you've reached this senior level you have a repertoire of experience, knowledge and skills, and it's
your job to pass this knowledge on and share your skills with other colleagues.
This involves training and advising staff and building their confidence and skills. In a management
position, you'll be the driving force behind the progression of team members.
How do I develop my management skills?
The good news is that you can develop all the required competencies relatively easily. All of the
above skills can be learned, honed and developed through a number of activities such as:
Joining student societies - gaining experience in leadership roles is easy while at university, so be
sure to take advantage of all opportunities. You could work your way up the ranks and become the
captain of a sports team, or sign up to chair a pre-existing club. If your area of interest isn't
represented you could use your initiative to create and president your own society, or alternatively
you could apply to represent the student body as a students' union officer. Learn more about
standing for student elections and the importance of extra-curricular activities.
Internships and volunteering - upon graduation you could take part in an industry internship. These
look great on your CV and provide a first-hand glimpse of what it's like to manage a team. As well as
building up your skills and confidence, internships also provide you with a list of useful contacts,
which could help you to secure a job in the future. To gain experience in a supportive capacity, you
could volunteer as a mentor or sports coach. This could see you working with adults in the
community or with children in education settings. Other relevant volunteering activities include
leading a community team on an environmental project and managing a group of charity
fundraisers.
Part-time work - management and leadership skills can also be built through part-time employment
in team/department leader and supervisory roles. It doesn't matter where you work, you could
manage bar or hospitality staff, supervise retail or factory workers, man reception desks or lead
admin teams. All experience is valuable, especially when you're in a position of responsibility.