Time Management Skills for a Successful Manager - Literature review Example

? Management, Literature review Table of Contents Introduction 3 Qualities of a good manager 3 Personal Characteristics 3 Business Characteristics 4 Communication Skills 4 Time Management Skills for a successful manager 5 Prioritize Your Tasks 5 Get the Job Done Right the First Time 5 Delegate Tasks 6 Avoid Procrastination 6 Conclusion 6 References 7 Introduction Manager is someone responsible for planning, directing, executing and controlling a group of individuals. Over the years, the landscape and the modus operandi of the business organizations have changed. This change has affected the job descriptions of the managers also. Now, managers are not treated as just employees with power; rather, they are treated as entrepreneurs with responsibilities. The management as well as the juniors or subordinates look up to the mangers as leaders. Managers are not only expected to perform their tasks but are also expected to make sure that the subordinates are carrying out their tasks efficiently. Although there has been much debate about difference between a leader and a manager, it goes without saying that a good manger has to be a good leader. One of the critical aspects of the responsibilities of a manger is to come up with results within the stipulated time. This study therefore will focus on the key traits or qualities of the manger, putting special emphasis on the time management skills. Qualities of a good manager Personal Characteristics Self Motivation: A good manager cannot motivate him/herself, if the manager him/herself is not self-motivated. Many believe that to be a good manager, one has to learn to gain the workers trust. People trust a good manager as he/she may have personal integrity. A good manager should be seen as reliable both by the superiors and subordinates. Confidence is the key. A good manager should have confidence in him. This is reflected while making decisions. Also, a confident manager is likely to show confidence in his team also. A manager has to stay strong under the pressure. If a manager is vulnerable to pressure, then the whole team is likely to crumble. Over all, a manager should be a good leader. Managers quite often need to play the role of a mediator. Sometimes a manager may have to play the role of a fire-fighter. It could be to solve a conflict between workers, between workers and employers, and between workers and customers. A manager may be the leader of a pack. But he/she is very much a part of the team. Therefore, a manager must be a very good team member and should have respect for others. Finally, a manger has to communicate and coordinate not only with own team but also with other departments also (Armstrong, 2011, p.15). Business Characteristics A manager should have thorough knowledge about the respective industry. The manager is also supposed to pass the knowledge to the other team members. A good manager should know that some of the tasks may need to be delegated. One should be able to recognize the right person for the right job. A good manager should have the knowledge of business hierarchy and follow the required chain of command. A good manger may not need to be an expert in law, but one should have the basic notion of business or corporate law. Communication Skills One of the major qualities of a manger is the ability to communicate effectively. One should know how to communicate in writing. A good manager should have the ability to write professionally and with correct grammar as one has to write memos, e-mails, minutes of the meeting quite effectively. A good manager should have excellent verbal communication ability. Managers are required to conduct training sessions as well provide presentations; hence, verbal communication is as important as written communication. One of the most important communication skills, if not the most important, is listening. A manger should have good listening skills as he has to listen to the superiors, worker and the customers also (Kotler, 2011, p.73). Time Management Skills for a successful manager According to sources, more than 50% of the management time is spent on processing information. Studies have also revealed that 80% of the time is spent on gathering the information which is of no use. Therefore, managing time effectively is of utmost importance for a manager as most of the time a manger has to take decision under time constraint. This section focuses on some time management skills required for a manager to be a success. Prioritize Your Tasks In the work of a manager, there are likely to be interruptions. However, the key task here is to remain focused on the important tasks and get through with those tasks to prevent overlooking. One of the best ways to do so is to prioritize the important tasks by creating a ‘to-do-list’. First, one should create a list of the tasks to do, and then those tasks must be ranked according to the degree of importance. One has to be realistic while creating a to-do-list. If the list is too long, then it is not going to be of much use. Get the Job Done Right the First Time Over 30% of the managers spent time in fire-fighting troubles or solving problems that should not have even occurred. These problems mainly occur as the associates fail to understand their jobs properly. Therefore, effort should be put in to make sure that the associated understand their jobs to avoid unwanted mistakes. Delegate Tasks Delegating work should definitely be a part of overall time management. Delegation may not be directly related to saving time. Delegation means giving tasks to the right people; it means less surveillance leading to time economy. However, delegation needs certain amount of trust and confidence (Mullins, 2009, p.851). Avoid Procrastination Procrastination is one of the worst problems to deal with. Some people may procrastinate as they just do not want to do the job. Some, on the other hand, suffer from the fear of failure. In most of the cases, it is the latter. Therefore, the manger should focus on the fear of failure and determine lack of action or consequences of action. Conclusion With the rise in competition, the job responsibilities of a manager have changed. Now the manager is not just another employee. Rather, the manager is treated as an entrepreneur. A manger is looked up as a leader by the subordinates. Therefore, in order to become a successful manager, a manager must have excellent personal, communication and business skills. Another important factor to be considered is the time constraint. A manager has to take decisions and meet deadlines under strict time constraints. Therefore, a manger should have the ability to manage time effectively. Some of the effective ways to manage time is to prioritize works, avoid and prevent procrastination, delegate tasks, etc. References Armstrong, M. 2011. How to be an Even Better Manager: A Complete A-Z of Proven Techniques and Essential Skills. Kogan Page Publishers: UK. Kotler, P. 2011. Marketing Insights from A to Z: 80 Concepts Every Manager Needs to Know. John Wiley & Sons. New Jersey. Mullins. L. J. 2009. Management and Organizational Behaviour, 7/e. Pearson Education: India. Read More