Complicated Management Skills - Essay Example

Management Skills A manager is faced with lots of things to handle in his or her day to day activities. As a manager, my level of managerial skills is at par with what others in the field have. There are a few areas that I need to improve in order to be that good manager that will be admired by all employees within the organization (Whetten and Cameron 5-78) To begin with, I have high self-awareness such that I know a lot about myself, my attitudes, beliefs, emotions and many other traits that I have. I have found out that one cannot have all the good qualities and therefore I have identified my strength and weaknesses from colleagues and this has helped me improve in areas that I initially thought to be my strong points. I also talk to others about myself so that they are able to know exactly who I am. This is good because it fosters good relations between a manager and the employees as they know exactly what I like and what I do not like. In a normal working day, a manager is facing d with stressful events, the pressure to produce results and deadlines to meet. In such situations, I ensure that I prioritize events and work so that the most important things come first. This helps me a lot to avoid stressful moments when work has to be submitted and yet I have not completed it. Besides that to ensure that I do not break down as a result of work stress I ensure that I go to work out every day before I go to work. This makes me fit and keeps me going. Problems are part of the life of a manager. There are routine problems that will usually occur each and every day or occasionally. It is important as a manager to be prepared to handle the problem in a professional way. Therefore in such cases, I make sure I understand what the problem is through careful definition. After knowing what the problem is I generate as many solutions as possible that can be used to solve the problem. This helps me to try out a new solution that might just act as the perfect solution for the problem. In so doing I take risks but I am also innovative such that I do not rely on the same old solution every now and then. There are problems that may arise that are very complex and do not have a straightforward solution. This is usually hard for a manager but it is the point at which a manager has to prove his or her leadership qualities. In such a situation, I try to define the problem in different dimensions so as to come up with the best definition of it. I then begin thinking about the problem logically and intuitively. I then generate a variety of solutions through techniques that I have. I then try out several before I pick the most appropriate one to solve the current problem. It is important for a manager to always be creative and innovative so as to be able to deal with many issues that arise at the workplace. Therefore in my case, I do not impose ideas on people rather I encourage them to present their ideas. I recognize those who have come up with the ideas and their supporters. This is important as it helps bring out many ideas that would never have come to light and thus make the organization to progress. The manager is also faced with the task of ensuring that people receive feedback both negative and positive. He/she has to also correct people who go wrong. These are situations that are tough to handle but I ensure that when giving feedback I do not put my focus on their characteristics but instead concentrate on the problem and the solution. This is important as it helps people understand that you do not hate them but you do not like what they have produced and you want the problem correct by offering an appropriate solution to the situation. In situations where a person does something that needs correcting I move first to offer an alternative option that is more acceptable and one that will lead to favorable outcomes. Power cannot be separated from management at all and therefore there are certain situations when you have to exercise power in order to correct something or enforce a certain idea. In such cases the way you use power is important and I try to avoid using threats or demands, I also do not impose ideas on my subordinates instead I let them propose ideas, offer support when they need it and encourage participation from the top to the bottom. I also motivate my subordinates by ensuring every one of them is treated equally. This is important as without motivation very little progress can be made within the organization. As a manager, you will always receive complaints about things you have done and which others feel offended. In such situations, I gather information about what the problem is and then ask what the affected person thinks is the most appropriate solution to that problem. This is part of conflicts that arise in the organization. If I am involved I involve the party that is offended. If I am not involved and I am the mediator I listen to both sides and bring them to a common point before searching for the appropriate solution. Work has to be done daily and when I am involved, I make sure that people have information and support on a regular basis. When delegating work I make sure that I point out the expected outcomes so that people know what is expected of them. In this kind of situations, you are the leader most of the time, therefore, I make sure that we are on the common ground before starting a given task. This is important as all team members know exactly what they are working to achieve. When I am not the leader I participate by providing solutions that will help us finish the work early. I also help the team members to come up with a variety of opinions so that we select the appropriate solution to the current situation. Leading change is very important for a manager. When I am in such a position, I ensure that I appreciate what my colleagues have done. This is for major tasks and the small tasks. In this way, people feel motivated and they become more productive towards achieving the change we want. Score: 358 Ranking: mean Strength: I have more strength in developing self-awareness, managing stress and solving problems. Weaknesses: I have a weakness in managing teams and use of power influence. References Manager. PAMS Assessment, Student. 16 8 2011 Whetten David Allred, and Cameron Kim S. Developing management skills. Indiana: Prentice Hall, 2007. 5-78 Read More