The management of people and diversity: Critical skills for 21st century Management. Management Skills - Essay Example

Cultural intelligence is an important aspect of management, as it allows managers to effectively work with people of different cultures and to understand the effect that these differences have on employees. Leadership skills allow a manager to effectively promote change and efficiency within an organisation. My self-evaluation revealed that I have personality traits that support cultural intelligence, but it is not something that I am effective at, nor is leadership. As a result of this report, I recommend that I participate in groups that are heavily cultural, and that I become involved in running a study group on a regular basis, where I attempt to provide leadership and control the direction of the session.

These approaches should help to improve my leadership and cultural intelligence skills, increasing my potential effectiveness as a manger. 2. Introduction Business management in the 21st century is a comprehensive field that spans both the academic and practical regions, with a wide number of roles and applications. Managers must have a specific skill set that allows them to interact well with employees, and to provide an essential motivating force throughout the organisation. Management theory predicts many important traits for managers to have, although the skills that are considered essential differ from one author to the next, as well as between countries.

Business management theories and practices must take into account the changing environment around them, including the development of technology and the subsequent increase in globalisation. As globalisation increases, diversity within workplaces is increasing, and international contact between businesses is also growing in size. Because of this, developing effective management skills is a critical part of management education, and it is important that managers are effective at their roles throughout the diverse organisations that they are involved in.

Two traits that have become important in management, and are of growing importance, are cultural intelligence and leadership. To be an effective manager, an individual must address both of these issues and be skilled in them. Without understanding the impact of cultural intelligence and leadership, a leader cannot be fully effective. I was born in China, and am now studying international business management at an English university. This has given me an unusual perspective on business management, because during my youth I was mostly familiar with Chinese approaches to business and management, but as part of my education, I have learnt much more about Western management theories and business practices.

While at times these are similar to one another, there are also substantial differences. Because of this, diversity is something that has been a significant aspect of my own education, and I have come to understand that it plays a critical role in the management of businesses. An effective manager must understand the diverse nature of their staff members, and consider this diversity in their approaches to management. My studies and observations have led me to conclude that cultural diversity also plays a significant role in leadership approaches, and that a good manager must also be an effective leader, who takes into account the differences between cultures.

This applies to differences within teams, within organisations and between organisations. 2.1 Aim