No matter what industry you work in, there is a good chance that you will enter it at a more junior position and move your way up over time. This makes sense because it allows you to get hands-on experience in the sector first and understand the hierarchy. It also means that when you make the step up to management, you’ll know what all the roles below you involve, which will help when looking after them.
This step up to more senior positions is something most people focus on in their career at some point and is a natural progression to target. This cuts across all sectors and all industries within the business world. Of course, moving into a managerial role can feel a lot different and often calls for skills you might not have to use in your current position.
Which skills can help make any move up to management more successful, and how can you develop them?
Where can you develop the skills you need for management?
Although some lucky people will be born with all the high-level skills management roles call for, most of us are not. Thankfully, it is not difficult to find the support you need to develop them.
Perhaps the best option for most people looking to develop management skills is enrolling in a relevant academic course of study. Walsh University’s online MBA in management is a superb example of a program that can arm you with all the skills needed to move into management. As an online course, it is also flexible, convenient, and able to fit into your busy lifestyle.
Of course, before you can use education to brush up on or develop core managerial skills, it pays to know which skills it covers and which are most important for making that step up the career ladder a success.
Leadership skills
It is no surprise that leadership is one of the core management skills that will come in handy. This is because managers need to be effective leaders who know how to make people feel comfortable and confident about following. Succeeding as a manager also means being able to guide your team in the right direction and commanding the right amount of respect from them.
Having good leadership skills also enables you to take decisive action when needed and have a clear vision for where you want the team to be. It is essential to note that good leadership is not about being a dictator or a bully. In fact, ethical leadership is more important than ever, and guiding your team in the right manner is something you must master.
Communication skills
Anyone who is thinking of making the step into management should understand the importance of good communication skills. This is true both in a verbal sense, such as when you are explaining something to a team member, and for written communication, such as when you email the team about a specific concern.
Without the ability to communicate clearly and make your point, it will be tough to manage effectively. This is because poor communication will leave team members feeling confused and unsure about what you need them to do. Poor communication as a manager can also undermine the respect your staff have for you and risk upsetting colleagues who misunderstand something you say.
The ability to deal with conflict
Most managerial roles will involve having to deal with tense situations at some point. This is not surprising because this extra level of responsibility is why you are in a more senior position and receiving higher pay. Common examples of conflict that managers might have to deal with include talking to an angry customer, getting involved in an argument between staff, or having to hold a disciplinary meeting with a team member.
To succeed when you move into management, it is vitally important that you can deal with these types of scenarios effectively. Although no one truly enjoys them, you must be able to stay calm, think on your feet and find a sensible resolution in line with company policy. It is also important not to be scared by tense situations and not let fear diminish your ability to handle them.
Organizational skills
There is no doubt that a good manager will be organized and have everything running like clockwork. You need good organization skills to divide work among team members. You also need to be organized enough to know when different tasks are due for completion and who you are expecting to do them.
Organization as a manager also extends to your own work. You will need to be very organized to not only keep tabs on your own team but also ensure any work you are taking care of personally is done on time. Good organization skills will also mean you do not forget or double book key meetings.
Presentation skills
Although this might not be the first core skill you think of for making it in management, presentation skills are critical for future success. The bottom line is that you could be asked to perform more presentations as a manager and speak at busy meetings. You may also have to chair team meetings with staff and address them.
Developing your presentation and public speaking skills is paramount. If you do not enjoy this, it is something that you will need to work on in order to succeed in management.
Moving into management requires certain skills to succeed
Before taking your next step on the career ladder, you need to develop all of these skills so you have what it takes to succeed in any type of managerial role.