5 Essential Soft Skills Every Manager Needs
Allocating management positions based on longevity or work performance is a recipe for disaster. Yes, an employee may have more experience than anyone else. And they may even be the best employee on the team. However, that doesn’t mean they would make a good manager. Managers need to lead their teams. And that requires an entirely different set of skills. Called soft skills. Soft skills are non-technical skills that come naturally to some people. Although, it is possible for one to develop these skills. Here are the most important soft skills a manager needs.
1. Communication
Good communication skills are essential for managers. Effective communication builds trust between management and employees. How well a manager communicates with the team decides how well they work. A good manager knows how to communicate instructions, motivation, and inspiration. Not to mention, a good manager can effectively and respectfully communicate displeasure.
2. Problem-solving
Good managers possess problem-solving skills. It is inevitable that problems arise during the course of a typical workday. Therefore, it is essential that the management team have the skills to identify any problems, and the ability to solve them in the most effective and efficient way possible. Great problem-solving skills differentiate a manager from the rest of the workforce.
3. Accountability
In a business, the book stops with the manager. They are not just responsible for their own work, they are also responsible for the work of their employees. Therefore, it is imperative that a manager holds themselves accountable when things go wrong. An accountable manager is beneficial to a business’s culture. Firstly, it makes employees want to work harder and smarter. As employees knowing a manager has their back makes them more likely to not want to let them down. And secondly, it encourages employees to take ownership of their mistakes. As when employees see managers take accountability for their actions, they tend to follow suit.
4. Delegation
Delegation is another vital soft skill all managers need. Delegation refers to the transfer of responsibility from one person to another. A manager with good delegation skills knows how to efficiently reassign tasks, in order to achieve optimal productivity from employees.
5. Decision-Making
Decision-making is another key soft skill all managers need. Managers make all kinds of decisions, every day. And they need to make them as efficiently as possible. In business, a manager does not have the time to second guess themselves. So making quick decisions is a key component of a manager’s success. Not every decision will work out favourably. And that’s OK. The point is not to always be right in your decisions. But to make the best decision with the information at hand.
Want to hone your soft skills?
Want to become a manager but worry you don’t have the skills? Kazien Workforce Solutions believes that anyone can learn soft management skills. This is one of the reasons why we began the Workforce Academy. Why not reach out to a member of our team, to see how we can help you?
