Effective Management - Essay Example

In this essay, the most important characteristics of an effective manager are discussed. According to Whetton and Cameron, (2005) the most important personal; qualities essential for a manager are the awareness of one's own self, ability to manage stress and ability to solve problems analytically and creatively. First and foremost quality that builds clarity in the thought process is the self awareness. Cox(1994) in his work mentions that, self awareness is very essential to have a concept of self regard and worthiness to define the persons' emotional intelligence .

More awareness of the person's personal values gives direction when decisions have to be made. When a person is aware of the inner self, then they can appreciate the differences between individuals when working in a group. An effective manager feels comfortable in welcoming different viewpoints and can create a shared sense of commitment in a team. The next personal quality that is very essential is the person's anility to manage stress constructively. The manager may have this ability by nature or should acquire this ability to manage stress.

Stress cannot be avoided in today's competitive business environment. But the manager should not let the stress to hamper the judgments made. Effective management of stress can be achieved though time management, team building and work redesign. Managing the stress is very essential to develop resilience in the individual who can steer the organization through the odds to success. The other personal skill that has to be possessed by a manager is the ability to solve problems analytically and creatively.

A manager should be able to think beyond the traditional boundaries of thought. If the manager has the ability to do so, he can create alternative solutions which are far beyond the traditional options available. He should be able to combine unrelated alternatives to create an alternative solution for a problem which can create a platform for innovation. Interpersonal skillsManagers are supposed to have a range of interpersonal skills like coaching, counseling, offering supportive communication, exercising influence, motivating others and managing conflicts.

Of all these interpersonal skills the ability to offer supportive communication is very essential. According to Losada and Heaphy(2004), supportive communication is the communication that seeks to preserve a positive relationship between the communications while still addressing the problem at hand. It allows you to provide negative feedback or to resolve a difficult issue with another person and as a result can strengthen the relationship. Next important aspect of interpersonal skill is the leadership skill.

Leadership expert McFadden(2007) comments that, "the leader should have passion for the people which means that the leader regards the people more than himself. In order to fulfill this requirement, the success of the leader will be heavily contingent upon whether he has accomplished the first "P" - passion for purpose". A leader of any group is like the leader of an expedition; people are trusting in his guidance because they believe that his expertise is the result of him having already made