WESTERN GOVERNORS UNIVERSITY
Developing Your Management Skills
Management Skills
Developing effective management skills is crucial for your personal and professional success. They’re essential for anyone seeking to excel in leadership positions or enhance their management style and career prospects. This guide will help you understand the importance of management skills, their different types, and how they can be applied across various industries.
What Are Management Skills?
Management skills refer to the ability to efficiently plan, organize, coordinate, and direct resources to achieve specific objectives.
Having management skills involves combining other skills, such as leadership and communication, to motivate team members, manage conflicts, and adapt to changing circumstances.
Successful managers must possess these skills to effectively meet their organization’s goals.
Why Are Management Skills Important?
Strong management skills help you achieve professional goals, advance your career, build relationships, and foster personal growth. As an aspiring manager, you should focus on developing technical, human, and conceptual skills to achieve your personal and professional goals. These skills are essential in various aspects of life, such as work, personal relationships, and personal growth.
Benefits of Having Management Skills
Developing management skills offers several numerous tangible benefits. Here are just a few:
Career Progression
Professionals with strong management skills are highly sought after by employers and are more likely to be promoted to leadership positions.
Higher Earnings
Management skills are often associated with higher salaries. According to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, the median annual wage as of May 2022 for management occupations is $107,360.
Personal Satisfaction
Developing management skills can also lead to personal satisfaction. Effectively managing tasks, people, and resources can give you a sense of accomplishment and fulfillment.
Better Opportunities
Acquiring management skills can open up new job opportunities. Many organizations require professionals with management skills for various roles, such as team leaders and executives. With managerial skills and relevant experience, you can pursue careers in various industries.
Examples of Management Skills in Action
Management skills can be applied across various industries and in everyday situations:
- Attention to detail refers to the ability to meticulously focus on and notice the specifics of tasks. It involves being vigilant and ensuring that no errors are overlooked and that high-quality work is produced.
- Decisiveness is the skill of making timely and effective decisions. It involves considering various options and taking action promptly even in high-pressure situations.
- Emotional intelligence refers to the capacity to recognize, understand, and manage emotions in yourself and others. Managers with high emotional intelligence can empathize with their teams, handle conflicts diplomatically, and create a positive work environment.
- Time management involves managing one's schedule and priorities effectively. This skill is important in all industries and everyday life. Effective time management involves prioritizing tasks, managing distractions, and developing efficient work habits.
- Conflict resolution involves managing and resolving conflicts in an organization or personal relationships. The process requires listening actively to each party involved, communicating effectively, and engaging in negotiations to reach mutually beneficial outcomes.
Using Management Skills in Different Sectors
You can apply management skills in various fields and industries, such as:
Business
Across countless industries, business managers need to clearly articulate goals and instructions to you’re their team members, address disputes, and provide guidance toward achieving organizational goals.
Healthcare
In the healthcare industry, management skills are essential for managing teams of healthcare professionals, overseeing patient care, and ensuring regulatory compliance. They also help in fostering collaboration among the teams in order to achieve shared goals.
IT
If you’re interested in IT, you’ll need management skills to manage technology projects, oversee technology operations, and maintain cybersecurity. For example, as an IT manager, you must oversee technology operations and ensure technology services are delivered effectively. You must also implement policies and procedures to protect the organization's data and information systems.
Learning Management Skills at Western Governors University
Here are some of the key programs and courses we offer:
School of Business
Our School of Business offers programs that focus on developing management skills, such as the Bachelor of Science in Business Administration–Business Management and Master of Business Administration (MBA) programs.
In the business degree programs, you will learn to:
- Implement new policies with the core goal of motivating team members.
- Identify the skills required for a specific job role.
- Identify team members’ needs to coach, mentor, or help improve their knowledge or skills.
- Study cross-cultural psychology to successfully manage diverse teams.
- Provide guidance and direction, including setting performance standards and monitoring performance.
- Prioritize tasks to meet the strategic goals of an organization.
School of Technology
Our School of Technology offers several IT degree programs that focus on developing management skills in the IT industry.
With IT degrees, you will learn to:
- Determine resources needed to support an organization or process.
- Implement new policies with the core goal of motivating team members.
- Identify the skills required for a specific job role.
Leavitt School of Health
The Leavitt School of Health offers several programs that focus on developing management skills in the healthcare industry, including a Bachelor of Science in Health Information Management and a Master of Science in Nursing Leadership and Management program.
With health-related degrees, you will learn to:
- Determine resources needed to support an organization or process.
- Communicate expectations clearly to subordinates.
Frequently Asked Questions
As a manager, you may face challenges such as managing diverse teams, balancing workload and resources, meeting deadlines, managing conflicts, making tough decisions, and keeping up with industry changes. Effective management skills can help you overcome these challenges.
Management skills can be applied in everyday life through setting goals, planning and organizing tasks, prioritizing activities, managing time, delegating responsibilities, communicating effectively, and collaborating with others.
You can develop management skills by pursuing a degree in a management-related field, attending management training programs, taking online courses, reading management books and articles, and seeking mentorship from experienced managers.
