Term Paper on "Management Skills and Competencies"

Term Paper 4 pages (1696 words) Sources: 1+

[EXCERPT] . . . .

Management Skills and Competencies: Personal Development Plan

This paper outlines the key management skills and competencies needed for 21st century managers. They fall into the three major categories of: technical, conceptual and interpersonal skills. For each skill, I have analyzed my current capabilities.

The second part of this paper includes a personal development plan. It outlines the steps I will take to improve in three areas of the prior discussed skills. Included in this discussion is a time frame for completion of each step and a method of measuring progress. Obstacles for each action are also noted.

Management Skills and Competencies: Personal Development Plan

Skills and Competency Grid for the 21st Century Manager:

My Career Goal:

Skill/Competency Category

Competencies/Skills Required

Assessment of My Current Capabilities

Technical Skills

Problem solving skills is perhaps one of the most important technical skills a 21st century manager can have. It is the ability to use the scientific method to recognize and solve problems that is universal, no matter what industry the manager is in. This process begins with observation and the ability to detect similarities and dissimilarities in items and to determine relationships, based on one's observation and prior experience. It ends with the formulation of hypotheses and the ability to experiment to determine the best solution (Yntema, 1960, p. 81).

2. Managers, in the 21st century, must also be able to organize people, in order to achieve their goals. Not only must they be able to effectively organize their own activities, such as time management, but also they must be able to organize others as well. This organization includes: defining job responsibilities and assigning these jobs, as well as developing the means for coordination and supervision for those working on the goal (Yntema, 1960, p. 83)

3. The third technical skill 21st century managers must have is the ability to use common technology effectively and efficiently. Managers must have a clear understanding of technology and the skills to use it (Peckham, n.d., p. 5). This includes creating electronic documents, such as word processing and desktop publishing, organizing data in spreadsheets or using database management, presenting and communicating thoughts through digital presentations, and communicating electronically, via channels such as e-mail (Gaide, 2004, p. 5).

1. My problem solving skills are above average. I pride myself on creative problem solving and being able to think outside of the box. I am quite skilled at developing solutions that may be a bit unorthodox, but, in the end, usually yield the best possible results.

2. My organizational skills, when it comes to human capital, are average. I am typically able to allocate the correct people to the tasks at hand as well as supervising them efficiently and effectively. However, I could improve upon my own time management skills.

3. I have a solid understanding of technology that is being used today. I am not only very comfortable with word processing and spreadsheet creation, but also am quite skilled at creating presentations using tools such as PowerPoint and have thorough knowledge of our organization database.

Conceptual Skills

1. Persistency is a conceptual skill 21st century managers must master. As Yntema (1960) noted, "All the abilities in the world are not worth much unless they are really put to work with perserverance" (p. 83).

2. Vision is another skill a 21st Century manager must have. This skill involves knowing the people, markets, opportunities and threats that can affect an organization. A visionary leader can lead an organization to success while another without this ability can spell failure. Having the right people in the right position is part of this skill (Chen & Miller, 1988, p. 24).

3. A basic understanding of people is also an important conceptual skill for 21st Century managers. Each person, within an organization has been raised in a different environment and comes with a different set of experiences to build upon. A skilled manager understands and appreciates these differences and can utilize them to the benefit of the organization (Chen & Miller, 1988, p. 24).

1. I am quite persistent when it comes to achieving my goals, whether they are personal or professional. I am a firm believer that there is nothing that can't be accomplished with hard work.

2. Vision is a difficult skill to assess. I would like to think I have vision and am able to develop plans for both the short-term and long-term success of my organization. However, I could learn more about our industry, including especially our competitors and what others are doing outside of our industry that could be applied to our organization.

3. I believe I have an above average understanding of people. I realize that each person brings something unique to the organization, in the form of his or her own personal experiences and education. I have purposely tried to create a mix of individuals when forming teams rather than one that is homogenous. In this way, their differences can compliment each other and can bring unique strengths to the group.

Interpersonal Skills

1. In a CIO Insight survey, strong interpersonal skills were one of the three most important things companies look for, in a majority of respondents ("Hard skills," 2004, p. 17). In fact, "studies say 90% of executive failures are attributable to interpersonal competencies" (Wheeler, 2005, p. 44). The ability to develop relationships with people is one of these skills. This includes being able to work successfully with people, to understand them and motivate them to the action desired. A 21st century manager must not only be able to give orders, but to take orders as well and join with colleagues to work towards a common goal (Yntema, 1960, p. 82).

2. Communication skills are another necessary interpersonal skill required for successful 21st century managers. Communication skills are a vital aspect of relationship building. Managers must be able to communicate their ideas to others as well as be able to receive communications from others. This includes both the written and spoken word (Yntema, 1960, p. 83).

3. Memory and being able to effectively and efficiently recall details is key to successful managers in the 21st century. This skill includes being able to memorize faces and names, which help in building relationships both within the organization and outside the organization. In addition, memory skills are vital to recalling important facts about the company, products or services and the manager's job (Yntema, 1960, p. 83).

1. My relationship building skills are average. I have been successful at developing relationship both inside and outside of my organization. I feel I take orders quite well and can also give orders when needed. And, I am an effective team player who enjoys working with others towards an end goal. I have also found that I am able to motivate others to take action. However, there is always room for improvement.

2. My average relationship building skills are due primarily to my good communication skills. I am able to communicate my thoughts and ideas to others in both spoken and written forms. In addition, I'm a good listener and am able to empathize with others. Again, though these skills could be improved upon to become exceptional.

3. Memory and specifically memorizing names and facts are one of my strong areas. I rarely forget a name or a face, and make a conscience habit of using a person's name and looking at their face several times when we first meet, to help engrain it into my memory.

Personal Development Plan:

The interpersonal skills area is the area where I am lacking most, and which could most benefit my career goals.

To improve my communication skills, I will locate articles and books that discuss communication skills. By reading these resources I hope to discover real world strategies to improve my communication techniques, especially… READ MORE

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