There really is no one skill or trait that is more important than another. Depending on your particular management style or the specific task at hand, any one of a 'suite' of competencies might be more important or more appropriate than the others. That being said, I believe there is one skill that is an essential element of all other managerial qualities. That is communication. Organization, empathy, planning, attention to detail, etc. etc. all require the ability to communicate effectively.
Being a great Manger I believe you need to know what makes each member of your staff click. They need to see that you are confident in what you do and are able to tap into what your members bring to the table and what motivates them to go beyond their own capabilities. I make sure that I spend time with each one of my staff members every week. Also, I made a commitment early on that I knew how to do everybodies job wether it has to do with Financial Aid, Buisness Office, Registrar and Admission to better understand what problems they may have and be able to resolve any issue they may have.
It is very simple in my mind. Know your people and what makes them tick. I have learned over the past 20 years to listened and figure out what motivates people to get the best out of them.
I agree...situational leadership is critical. No two employees are alike and a mistake that many new managers make is to lead and direct everyone the same way. As you state, getting to know each persons "driving force" can help the manager adapt and help everyone achieve his/her potential.
Flexibility. Knowing that no two employees are alike in their abilities or motivations, one must reach out in a genuine manner to get to know the person. People who are supervised want 3 basic needs to be fulfilled. The need for monetary rewards, the need for recognition, and the need for respect. Once they are compensated, recognized for their accomplishments when deserved, and have their opinions solicited in a personal manner then they feel like a part of a very vital team. But back to the key is the flexibility. Get to know what is the single most driving force and then use that to capitalize on it to bring out their best. The realization that what works for one will not work for another is what makes leadership exciting and rewarding.
Patrick Nutter.
So many. I think being a good listener, thinker and problem solver could be at the top. Being able to adapt to different people and different situation, understand people and problems are not the same and need to be dealt with differently. Promoter of teamwork, good coach and recognize a job well done.
The most important skill to me personally would have to be communication. As a new manager, I spent most of my beginning months just trying to create or build relationships with people in my team as well as outside of my team. This cleared up any negative issues during my promotion as well as assumptions and rumors.
For me personally, the most important quality would be patience. As a new manager, it was hard for me to deal with people who had been unproductive and problematic since I had been in a similar role prior to my promotion. I had to take into consideration that people are different and I have to be more understanding on my end of their situations.
Hi James, to your point about efficiency and effectiveness: I have seen managers that accomplished a relevant task or project, but were inefficient because they did not utilize their resources effectively. Others have been quite efficient in their projects or activities, but their results made no real contribution to the organization's mission or bottom line. It is, of course, the combination of both that yields success.
Thanks for your observations.
Jay
ML101 Guest Facilitator
Good post. I see where you're going. Of course Planning, Organzing, Leading and Controlling are the functions oa all management, you can't do much if you are not organized. You bring up a good thought in discussing Efficiency. Efficiency (doing things right) and Effectiveness (doing the right things) are key.
I think having good organizational skills is crucial. Good judgement on time sensitive issues is also important. A good manager is someone who can evaluate a situation quickly but carefully. Efficiency is key in getting the job done right.
Good question. I'd have to say the most important skills are Critical Thinking, Empathy, Humor and Determination.
